


Alpha She-Wolf

by LouisaHale



Series: Life and Times of a She-Wolf [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Death, F/M, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Mild Language, Miscarriage, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-08 18:19:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 85,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1951314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouisaHale/pseuds/LouisaHale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "Teen She-Wolf" - "...She had only been a wolf eight months but she was good at it, she was meant to be a she-wolf, she knew that in her bones..." Rated M for mature themes, sexual situations (no smut), and violence</p><p>Work Published: March 30, 2014</p><p>This sequel begins about 5-6 months after TEEN SHE-WOLF ends.</p><p>Erica Reyes is beginning college and has begun to settle into her powers as an alpha. But her mate-bond and pack link are falling apart, and Erica has to fix her relationships while building her own pack and helping to fight off a foe bent on the destruction of the Hale Pack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They arrived on campus bright and early. Erica in her truck, loaded down with the things she purchased for her dorm room, and the rest of her unpacking party in Stiles' jeep. Erica wanted to get to campus as soon as possible. She wanted to get away from  _Wolf's Run_ as fast as she could before anyone tried to talk her out of leaving. Half of her hoped that Derek would be at the door, pleading for her to stay, but he wasn't. She woke alone in their bed like she had every morning for the last two and a half weeks. Maybe they needed this time away from each other. The past few weeks were absolute hell on their relationship. They needed this break.

They would work this out. They were a team. A pair of alphas. Mates.

_Maybe it's time to leave, and start our own pack…_  She halfheartedly thought, as she jumped out of her truck and looked up at the dormitory that was now her home. The thought made her want to puke. No, she would not start her own pack. She had a pack. Erica and Derek could survive this. They had beaten bad things before.

"This is so stupid." Cora growled, exiting Stiles' jeep with Isaac and Allison. Scott and Stiles had already exited the vehicle and were making their way towards the trunk of Erica's car. Cora, Isaac and Allison simply glared at the dormitory, from their place standing next to the jeep. "Why are you two idiots so eager to help her do this? You hate it as much as we all do."

"Mom said we had to." Scott mumbled.

"Core, you know the woman basically adopted Erica. She was all ' _you boys better be supportive of your sister. She's been through enough without you giving her grief.'"_  Stiles said glaring at the group by the car. "And she's right. It's her life. Let her make her own decisions.

Isaac sighed and walked over to Erica, giving her a hug. "I'm sorry Puppy." He said. "Let's go get your room key and stuff?"

Erica nodded and took his hand. Isaac, having gone through orientation at Hale College before helped her through the mess of flyers and paperwork and nametags. After a few minutes they began to walk back to the cars.

" _How much space do they need! He already lives in a guest room. She doesn't need to leave home to get away."_ Cora spat.

" _First years have to stay on campus for at least the first semester."_  Scott told her

" _Derek had that requirement waived for me. He had already done it for her! She just up and called the student life department and asked to be put in the dorms."_

" _Cora, the problem is Derek hasn't talked to her since…"_ Allison said. _"Can we all agree that none of us in the entire pack like this move one bit, but we all totally understand why she made the decision to leave home in the first place?"_

It was then that she and Isaac made their presence known and the conversation stopped. Erica was under no illusions that the conversation was over, she was just happy that it would continue when they all left or when they were at home with the rest of the pack, and not where she could hear it. The past few days had been consumed with this conversation.

* * *

They spent the next few hours helping her set up her half of the room (by lofting her bed and unpacking her things). Her side started to look like home. She had texted her roommate, asking how she wanted her side of the room, and had her friends help her set up her bed too so she just had to unpack when she came in. Erica had brought most of the shared items, because she had a bigger vehicle. Her roommate even had shipped a few boxes to  _Wolf's Run_  last week, because Erica offered to take some things for her.

After all was done the room looked almost complete aside from whatever personal touches her roommate wanted. She gave her friends hugs goodbye and thanked them for helping before they left her in peace.

* * *

She spent the next few hours lying on the futon waiting for her roommate to show. She listened as her fellow students moved in with the help of their parents, listened to the parents tearful goodbyes, listened to the laughter of roommates, and smelt the excitement and fear everyone was feeling of starting college and being on their own.

Erica wanted to cry, because she had never felt so alone in her life. Even after her parent's death, she was never alone. She lived with her pack, a large, loving family of supernatural creatures that were always there for her. This is the first time she ever felt like this and she hated it. She wasn't cut out to be a lone wolf, she needed her pack, and she needed her mate.

Of course, being alone was her fault; it was her decision to live on campus. But it was best to keep her distance from Derek until they settled their issues. They were both alphas, and they were fighting; the continued hostility towards each other would only cause the pack to divide and chose an alpha, which would cause her and Derek to challenge each other for control. Then things would be extremely messy. She would not risk breaking up her family over this argument, and they lived in Derek's house. The most logical option for her was to leave.

Some time apart would be best. Derek would calm down, see how much of a jerk he was being and finally they would talk this out instead of screaming hateful things at each other. They could fix this and go back to being happy again.

"You're living in a fantasy world Reyes." She said to herself letting out a sigh.

"Is talking to yourself going to be a thing?" Came from the doorway. "Also, I'm a little concerned that you didn't hear me coming. What good is a werewolf roommate if she can't sense someone approaching?"

Erica shot up from the futon and let out a squeal, running over to the girl at the door. "Bray-Bray!" She said hugging her friend. They talked and texted frequently since Braeden Deaton left Beacon Hills after her father's funeral, and had become close friends.

"Hey Puppy!" Braeden said, hugging her back, while dropping her duffle bags. "Missed you!"

Erica laughed. "Missed you more!" she said while breaking the hug. "Do you need help unpacking?"

Braeden shook her head. "This is it." She said pointing to the bags on the floor. "I shipped you the stuff that wouldn't fit on my bike, which is parked in the spot next to your truck by the way."

"Cool, well welcome to our new home away from home!" Erica said stepping aside to let Braeden enter the room.

"It's bigger than I expected." She said depositing her bags next to the boxes Erica brought for her before depositing herself on the futon. "So, are you going to tell me what you have been refusing to tell me for the last three weeks or am I supposed to ignore the lack of pack presence in this room?"

Erica sighed and closed their door. "You know what happened Bray." She said walking over to her friend and sitting next to her. "It happened, and we could of moved on from it. But then I said some really stupid things and he said many, many stupid things and we fought for days until he just…stopped talking to me. He moved out of the bedroom and has not uttered a word to me since."

Braeden put her arm around Erica's shoulder and Erica returned the gesture. Her best friend was not a wolf, but she was pack, enough to quell the emotional turmoil being separated from the pack had caused her. And this gave her enough relief to feel like she could breathe again.

She was an alpha now; she needed a pack to feel strength, to reach her full potential. But her pack was also her mate's pack, so when she was fighting with her mate, and their bond was tested, the bonds she had with the other pack members would weaken. No matter who was in the right or wrong (because honestly they both were right and wrong in this case) the pack would side with Derek; because Derek was the alpha that brought them all together. Which is why the links she felt with them all had been weakening slightly since she and Derek began to fight, if this fighting kept up, she would be a lone wolf. Pack-less; all over her and her mate being stubborn alphas that couldn't admit the other person was right.

"You are both stupid." Braeden told her.

Erica laughed. "I'm not the one giving me the silent treatment."

"Maybe so." Braeden sighed. "So I'm assuming that you don't know about the pack meeting tonight to celebrate my return?"

Erica began to tear up. "No. No one told me." Was Derek really going to push her out over this? They were mates! "Why would no one tell me?"

"Well, I'm assuming he didn't tell any of them until you left this morning, and alpha-ordered them not to. I however am under no such obligation." Braeden smirked while moving closer to Erica and hugging her. "I'm sorry Erica. If you want me to, I'll stay here."

"No. No, they are your pack. You made a promise." She told her friend. "You should go."

They stayed quiet for a moment before Braeden spoke up. "I may be Emissary to the Hale Pack, thereby loyal only to Derek Hale but you are my best friend. So I'm going to give you some advice."

Erica pulled away from the hug and starred at Braeden while raising her eyebrow questioningly. "Braeden, don't do something that could get you in trouble…"

"I'm not. You can still feel the pack link right?"

Erica nodded.

"Then technically you are still a Hale Alpha. But Erica, if this nonsense continues for much longer I fear for your safety. A wolf needs a pack, especially if that wolf is an alpha. Derek is not thinking straight right now, I honestly don't think he realizes what he is doing, but we can't wait for him to snap out of it. Because the day you don't feel that link to the members of the Hale Pack any longer is the day you become weaker than a newborn baby."

Erica's heart started to race. "Derek wouldn't let it get that far would he?"

"He hasn't been listening to any of the pack trying to talk some sense into him, he hasn't been listening to me, and he hasn't given you a chance. I can only keep trying and help you protect yourself incase that day comes." Braeden looked solemn. "Erica, you need your own betas. Bitten, Born, it doesn't matter."

Those words hit Erica like a sword to her heart "No. I have a pack."

"Yeah well, maybe not for long." Braeden told her. "I'm sorry. But I think the best plan is to visit my aunt Marin** this weekend, before we start classes on Monday. She can give you pointers on giving humans the bite and give you some information on how to find omegas that could join your pack. She isn't an Emissary to a specific pack anymore so she could advise you. If I were to give you the information myself I'd be compelled to tell Derek."

Erica sighed. She hated everything about this. She loved her pack; they were her family, her friends, and her reason of being. She didn't know how to be a wolf without them. But Braeden was right, if things continued on like they were, she would have to protect herself against the worst-case scenario.

"Okay, we'll drive to San Francisco as soon as the obligatory orientation stuff ends tomorrow night." Erica told her. "But I'm not happy about this."

"I'm not asking you to be happy about this, Puppy. I'm telling my best friend that this is what has to happen to ensure she stays alive in case her mate doesn't get his head out of his ass on time." Braeden said while standing up, and grabbing her purse.

"You should change before you go to  _Wolf's Run_. You smell like me." Erica told her. "He's not going to like that."

"I could care less what he likes." Braeden told her. "I have half a mind to ask to take your truck just to drive the point home that you know there was a pack meeting and that you weren't invited. I love that man like a brother, but he's an asshole."

"Bray, I said some horrible things too. We both said things we can never take back, but I crossed a line when we were fighting…Things I can't forgive myself for."

"I know what you said Puppy… I also know what he said to you before that; I know what started that fight. You both were to blame. You don't deserve to become a lone wolf because of it." Braeden said, grabbing the keys to Erica's truck from her desk and tossing her own keys to Erica. "Don't mope in here all night okay? Go to one of the welcome parties or something. I'll be back as soon as I can, then we'll watch movies and stress about orientation tomorrow."

"Yes Ma'am. Sounds like a plan." Erica said trying to smile. "And sure Bray, take my truck without my express permission. Apparently, it's not blatant thievery when it's between friends."

Braeden sighed and walked over to her again pulling her off the futon and grabbing her face, making Erica look her in the eyes. "It's going to be okay! You will be my best friend no matter what happens, and I will do everything I can to help protect you. Even if you end up not being their alpha-female anymore, the Hale pack members will still love you, and still be your friends. Yes, things could change dramatically in the next few weeks, but no matter what, I will make sure you are not alone. Got it?"

Erica smiled. "Got it."

"Good." Braeden said releasing her face and walking towards the door. Before pausing. "Oh, by the way while its on my mind. I may have hooked up with someone a few days ago. And maybe I'm still in contact with her. And maybe I really like her. But that's besides my point…she's an omega, and I'll think you'd like her. I gave her your number, told her you were an alpha in need of a beta. So she may call you, just as a heads up." Braeden said running out the door.

Erica's brain had many questions after that exchange. By the time she could form sentences again, her best friend was out of the door.

* * *

**TO: Bray-Bray**

**Ok, jerk. I have questions!**

**Question 1 - since when do you hook up with girls? Thanks for the info. I feel like a shitty friend for not knowing. So do you lovvvvveeee her yet? What's her name? How old is she? Does she lovvvvvveeee you too? Can I be your maid of honor? Get it girl!**

* * *

**TO: Bray-Bray**

**Question 2- why are you giving my info out to random omegas? I just reluctantly agreed to start up my own pack. I'm sure I'll like her if you like her but…**

* * *

**FROM Bray-Bray:**

**I've always been Bi, Puppy. Don't feel like a shitty friend, I just never mentioned it because I knew you wouldn't really care either way. My aunt is freaked thou so I didn't want to risk it yaknow?**

* * *

**FROM Bray-Bray:**

**Her name is Rosalyn. She's originally from a pack in Colombia. I met her a few weeks ago and she's kind of my girlfriend. I think we might be mates but she won't confirm or deny that, I only just convinced her to tell me she was a wolf. She didn't know I was an Emissary. I really like her.**

* * *

**FROM Bray-Bray:**

**If you and Der-Bear had repaired things when I came back I was going to ask him to let her join the Hale Pack. But I think maybe you and her…need each other? It'd be nice to have my best friend and my girlfriend looking out for one another. No pressure. Just meet her, if you don't want her to be your beta, I'll ask Captain Asshat if she can join ok?**

* * *

**FROM Bray-Bray:**

**We're still going to San Fran though, If you take her on or not.**

* * *

**TO: Bray-Bray**

**Fine. I'll meet her. Send me the info.**

* * *

Braden's next message came with a phone number attached.

**FROM Bray-Bray:**

**THANK YOU BESTIE! Ok, gtg. I'm late; I need to start driving now. Texting and driving is not good. Btw, nice wheels.**

* * *

**TO: Bray-Bray**

**I better not regret this. And thanks it was my dad's.**

* * *

The texts stopped for a while after that. And Erica composed a text to the number Braeden forwarded to her, asking to meet. She got a reply ten minutes later.

**FROM Rosalyn:**

**Hi Erica! I'm glad Bray passed my info along. I was nervous to call you. I would be interested in joining your pack. I'm on a bus right now to Beacon Hills. I was on my way because I was missing Braeden. The driver says we should be passing through in an hour. Is it okay to meet tonight?**

* * *

This was going too fast for her. She knew she had to do this, and she'd promised Braeden. But part of her was holding out hope for her and Derek to patch things up.

* * *

**FROM Bray-Bray:**

**Just got in the gate. He changed the code. It used to be your birthday, now it's not. Please meet with her E, yes he'll change his mind but I think that by the time he does it will be too late.**

* * *

At this news, her heart sank. He changed the gate code? She realized that what she said was stupid and horrible and completely untrue, but he said some horrible things too. Was she supposed to stand there listening to him scream lies at her and not retaliate?

Yes, she could have handled it better, they both could have, but how could he push her out like that? Granted she was the one that left, but only because she saw the strain the fighting was putting on the pack. How could they be over? They were mates. Wolves mated for life. She was incapable of loving another person now that she experienced the joys and sorrows of loving Derek Hale.

She let out a whimper. Her heart was broken. Soon she would be a lone wolf.

She needed a new pack. But the thought of turning people when she herself had been a wolf for less than a year felt wrong. So she'd meet with this Rosalyn.

_Start slowly,_ her inner wolf said,  _if it feels right, form a bond. One at a time. No rush. It has to feel right._

* * *

**TO: Rosalyn**

**There is a diner across from the bus station. I'll meet you there.**

* * *

Erica quickly got dressed and grabbed her motorcycle helmet, along with Braeden's keys and locked the dorm room as she left.

She was not a simpering newly turned teen she-wolf any longer. She didn't need Derek Hale and her friends to teach her how to be a wolf. She had only been a wolf eight months but she was good at it, she was meant to be a she-wolf, she knew that in her bones. She would not sit in her dorm room crying because she and her mate were fighting. She would grow up and do what needed to be done to protect herself.

She was an Alpha. She needed her own pack. If her and Derek patched things up one day then her new pack would merge into her old pack and everything would be fine. But for now she needed a beta of her own, to draw strength from and give strength to, she needed at least three betas to be considered a pack, but didn't want to move to quickly.

She'd start with meeting Rosalyn, then plan her next move from there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

Erica got to the diner and sat in the booth. She ordered herself a burger and fries and waited for Rosalyn's bus to arrive. The Hale Pack, her family, kept texting her but she refused to respond; she had a few things on her mind.

If she was going to do this she had to support herself and her future betas. And that presented a problem. She was a college student, and she needed to stay in school to better her options in the long term. The brochures they handed out when Isaac helped her sign in mentioned a meeting tomorrow morning, before regular orientation meetings started, about on-campus employment opportunities. If she could find something to work around her class schedule, that would be ideal. It wouldn't be much but a job along with her meal plan would keep herself and her betas fed. Now, she sort of wished she had access to her trust fund to pay for more than school expenses; an alpha needed to make sure their pack was safe and secure.

She could figure it out with Rosalyn, if she decided to take her on.

_Who are you kidding Reyes. You've already decided to take her on. You are desperate for the security a beta of your own will bring._

An alpha-roar in the distance broke her from her thoughts, and knew it was Derek, but she was not able to translate what he was calling for.

Because only pack could understand each other's howls…

Erica wiped her eyes to stop the tears and decided to read her texts after all. She was already heartbroken. It couldn't get any worse could it?

* * *

**From Isaac:**

**Why aren't you here Pup? I was looking forward to cuddles.**

* * *

**From Stiles:**

**SourAlpha didn't invite you! I'm sorry dearest Puppy.**

* * *

**From Foxy-Lady:**

**u r not here. : ( I foxfire-ed him for not letting you come. extra training is worth it.**

* * *

**From Bray-Bray:**

**Sorry about the roar, I told him my omega girlfriend was passing through his territory tonight. He's got his panties in a twist.**

* * *

**From Aiden:**

**Miss you Blondie. Hope this blows over soon.**

* * *

**From Ethan:**

**We still love you kiddo. Do what you have to. Survive.**

* * *

**From Sheriff John:**

**I have no clue what's going on Erica, but Mel and I are here for you if you need us. Derek Hale isn't the boss of me. I can shoot him if you want me to.**

* * *

**From Mama McCall:**

**Don't worry, I wont let John shoot him…unless of course you say so. But we both are here if you need our help with anything. I'm sorry this is happening Erica. I will see you tomorrow evening for your check up.**

* * *

**From Mama Martin-Hale:**

**I'm not saying I regret bringing him back from the dead, I'm just saying the boy could be appreciative and listen to my advice once and awhile as thanks for bringing him back from the dead. This is getting out of hand. Let me know if you need anything okay?**

* * *

**From Peter:**

**Do what needs to be done to keep yourself alive. We will all keep working on my nephew in the meantime.**

* * *

**From Cora:**

**I have an idea what you and Bray have planned, and I like it even less than I liked the idea of you moving out. You both are stupid.**

* * *

**From Scotty:**

**Erica, everyone thinks you are leaving us because Derek forced you out. Please, don't leave us. You two can fix this.**

* * *

**From Malia:**

**Shit. I hate this.**

* * *

**From Danny-Boy:**

**Erica, please respond to somebody okay? We're worried.**

* * *

**From Boyd:**

**Pup. Everyone is hurting over this; we can't keep this up for long.**

* * *

**From Ally:**

**I love you, but this is horrible. You REALLY should have not drawn those parallels between his relationship with Kate and his relationship with you. I know you didn't mean it, but this is going to take too long to fix.**

* * *

**From Jax:**

**Blondie, Blondie, Blondie… wtf were you thinking. He is so messed up right now.**

* * *

**From Foxy-Lady:**

**You don't get to not answer us! We love you! I will fox-fire you if I have to!**

* * *

**From Lyd:**

**Call /text me as soon as you can. Don't you dare shut us out!**

* * *

**From Stiles:**

**If you don't respond to anyone's texts I will hunt you down, I swear to God I will, and I will drag you back here, lock you and SourWolf in a room until you two work this shit out.**

* * *

**From Isaac:**

**Erica? Are you really never coming back to us? Making your own pack?**

* * *

Erica knew that they would keep texting all night if she didn't respond somehow so she opened a group email message, and typed out her response to all of them. Including Derek.

**TO: The Hale Pack (Derek Hale, Braeden Deaton, Cora Hale, Malia Tate, Peter Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Isaac Lahey, Allison McCall-Lahey, Vernon Boyd, Sarah Martin- Hale, Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore, Ethan Jones, Aiden Jones, Danny** **Mahealani** **, Kira Yukimura, John Stilinski, and Melissa McCall)**

**Everyone. I'll be fine. I'm just too upset to talk now. It hurts me to even read your messages. I'm not going to do well as a lone wolf, I know it, so I'm sorry but I have to make my own pack. I still love you all, and I'm willing to be friends if Derek allows you to talk to me. I promise to text later, regardless. Just give me the night? Okay?**

**Derek, I love you. I'm sorry for all the things I said, they were out of line. You are nothing like that woman. I had no right to say you were like that abusive devil-woman no matter how badly we were fighting. Everything we did was consensual, and I never felt forced or coerced by you.**

**I'm sorry our grief fueled fight snowballed into this horrible situation we find ourselves in. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to carry our child. I'm sorry I'm not ready to be a mother… I'm sorry for it all. I hope one day we can move past this, and maybe we can be together again.**

**Maybe one day we all can be a pack again, one day you can accept me, and any betas I make, with open arms and we will all live happily ever after at Wolf's Run. I hope that if that can't happen, we can at least co-exist in Beacon Hills peacefully until I'm out of school and can move myself and my pack elsewhere.**

**Love Always,**

**Erica Reyes**

* * *

As she hit send she smelt a lone wolf approaching. She wiped her eyes and stood up, waving the girl over.

She was about Erica's height and body type, except Rosalyn's hair was inky black, her completion was tan, and Erica could see claw marks on her neck extending down her back. She dragged a small rollaway suitcase behind her and carried a jacket and messenger bag. She smiled as she made her way towards Erica, and Erica could smell the excitement, nervousness, and fear rolling off the woman.

"Hi, I'm Erica Reyes." Erica said holding out her hand, after Rosalyn set her things down in the booth.

"Rosalyn Perez." She said with a smile, while shaking Erica's hand. "A pleasure to meet you Alpha Reyes."

Erica laughed and motioned towards the booth. "Call me Erica." She said as she sits down. "Order what you want. It's on me." She told her as the waitress came over with Erica's long awaited meal.

Rosalyn sat down as well and looked surprised, but ordered and watched as Erica started picking at her meal, feeling odd eating at when someone else at the table wasn't.

"Is there something wrong?" Erica asked, pushing her plate of fries to the middle of the table so Rosalyn could snack on them while she waited for her food.

Rosalyn laughed nervously while picking up a fry. "It's just that. All the alphas I've met haven't been kind and are really particular about addressing them by their rank." She said touching the scars on her neck.

"Who is that from?" Erica asked.

"My last alpha, My Father." Rosalyn whispered. "I wouldn't marry an alpha from a neighboring pack when I was fifteen. The man was my father's age and treated all his previous wives horribly, plus by then I knew I liked women and not men. Father tried to beat some sense into me, even dipped his claws in wolfsbane and other herbs, just so the marks would scar. I ran that day and never looked back."

Erica wasn't too shocked. She remembered the last name Perez from when the Thorne Pack attacked at the beginning of the year. They were unsure who it could be so they used Family Crests to narrow the list down. The Perez Pack had been on the short list of potential attackers. Peter had said:  _I don't know who their alpha is, or anything recent about them. Keep them as suspects. Last I heard they were still living in the old days. It could be them._ **Living in the old days meant she-wolves and humans were seen as lesser beings. This could be an entirely different Perez Pack, but Erica had a feeling they were one and the same.

"So I assume you don't share your father's belief regarding she-wolves and non-wolves?"

"No, of course not." Rosalyn said scrunching up her nose.

"Do I have to worry about you old pack coming after you?"

"No. It's been nearly seven years. Even if my brother were in charge now, he wouldn't want me back." Rosalyn said.

"Are you here legally?" Erica asked. "I'm sorry if that's rude I just…"

"No it's fine. I'm here legally." Rosalyn told her. "My father had been doing business with a drug cartel, so after he attacked me, and I realized I would live, I made my way to the American embassy and sought asylum. Gave them what information I could, It wasn't too much but it was enough to allow me to get a visa. I went to college here, got my teaching degree, and as of last year I am officially an American citizen.^^"

"That's great." Erica desperately wanted to bite this wolf, make her apart of her pack. She felt drawn to Rosalyn.

 _This is right._ Her inner wolf said.  _She is our Beta._

Erica smiled at the waitress as she brought Roslyn's food, and pushed her fry plate back towards herself, waiting for the human woman to be out of earshot. "I don't know how much you know about me Rosalyn. But I must warn you. I was only bitten eight months ago, and only rose as an alpha six months ago when my mate died…"

"I'm sorry for your loss…"

"Don't be, he had himself resurrected. But my point is I'm pretty new at this, and I think that you might like Derek as your alpha more…"

"I really don't think I would." Rosalyn said firmly, touching her neck again. At the mention of Derek, Erica smelt a different kind of fear radiating from Rosalyn, and it alarmed her. This woman was deeply afraid of male alphas. "And I don't know your whole story, just that your old/current pack link is fading away, and soon you'll be a lone wolf, and Bray is worried for you."

"Well, if you are sure… how do we do this?" Erica asked, deciding to bring up Rosalyn's fear at a later time.

"You have to bite me. After I swear fealty to you and you accept me."

Erica looked around the diner, making sure that no one was looking. She got up and sat in the booth besides Rosalyn. This way if anyone looked they'd just see two young women cuddling up on a first date.

"Okay…Shit I'm really nervous." Erica told her.

"Me too. I've been a lone wolf so long though, so I'm ready." Rosalyn told her. "I, Rosalyn Perez, swear fealty to you, Alpha Erica Reyes."

"I, Erica Reyes, accept you, Rosalyn Perez, as my beta." Erica said before letting her wolf teeth show. "Where do you want it?"

It would be tricky, sometimes claiming marks or changing bites from an alpha didn't heal, it just depended on the alpha. Scott's bite from Peter healed and you'd never know it was there, Stiles' bite from Derek could still be seen on his upper right arm. Erica's own changing bite on her neck had healed within days, but the mark Derek gave her the first time they had sex, could still be seen on her collar-bone.

"Can you put it over the claw marks? I can hide it with my hair and if it ends up scaring…"

Erica nodded and went for Rosalyn's neck, clamped her teeth down briefly and immediately released her grip. She didn't want the bite to last too long, in case it hurt Rosalyn. Erica took a napkin from the table and placed it on the bite before getting up and returning to her seat.

She felt the bond forming. It was strong, and made her feel stronger. The feeling of being on a verge of a panic attack and feeling alone was gone. Rosalyn was her beta now. She could still feel the faint links to the Hale Pack, and she still missed them but having Rosalyn as a beta brought comfort and strength back that Erica hadn't realized she was missing. It made the pain of being pushed out of her old pack a bit bearable.

Rosalyn smiled at her and flipped her hair over her shoulder to cover the bleeding wound before digging into her meal. Erica could feel the happiness and security radiate through their new bond and from Rosalyn. Braeden was right; Rosalyn and Erica needed each other.

"So, after we eat, do you maybe want to go for a run on the preserve?" Erica asked.

She felt Rosalyn's excitement through the bond, as Rosalyn nodded, unable to speak with her mouthful. Running with pack under the moon, even if it wasn't full was a great way to bond, and also the pull of the moon was a high like no other. It was intoxicating and freeing to run in the moonlight.

She heard Derek's roar in the distance followed by many pained howls.

"Is that your old pack?" Rosalyn asked, while taking a bite of her meal.

"Yes. But I don't understand what they are saying." Erica said, letting her sadness seep into her voice. She was happy she had Rosalyn, but hated that her friends were in pain because of Her and Derek being idiots.

They really needed to talk soon. She realized that she needed her own betas, because an alpha without betas that are loyal only to them was weak. But, at the same time, she also had the need to share the strength and sprit Rosalyn brought to her with her mate and his betas. She wanted them all to be together; two packs untied as one by her mating bond with Derek.

Rosalyn grabbed for Erica's hand, and siphoned some of her pain from her. "I'm sorry Erica. I understand what you are going through. I want to be your friend too, as well as your beta. When you are comfortable I'm willing to listen."

Erica smiled as Rosalyn broke the contact. The brief moment was enough to help her not howl in response, and not shed a tear. "Thanks."

* * *

**From Bray-Bray:**

**Congrats on the beginnings of The Reyes Pack. I'm going to stop by the diner in a few and exchange my bike for your truck so you two can wolfy-bond and what not. I have to stay the night at Wolf's Run tonight so don't wait up.**

* * *

They spent the hour eating and talking. Erica explained the events that happened when she was turned up until her graduation (deciding to leave the events of the summer until later) and Rosalyn filled Erica in on the last six years of her life.

She preferred to be called Rose, she was turning 23 in December and her favorite color was purple. She went to high school in Los Angeles, and then went to college at UCLA. She tended to dodge the wolf packs in the LA area because they all had male alphas, most with attachments to organized crime, which hit too close to home for her. She spent her time hiding from other wolves in plain sight, as it was hard to pick up individual scents in such a large metropolitan area. She moved to San Francisco after graduation, and started waiting tables, until she could find a teaching position. She wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, and was hopeful she could find an opening in Beacon Hills. A few weeks ago, she walked into a bar and started to chat up a girl, and instantly felt drawn to her. That girl was Braeden, and they had been seeing each other ever sense.

"She's your mate isn't she?" Erica asked, taking note of how Rosalyn practically glowed when the topic of Braeden came up. Erica looked out the window in time to see the woman in question pull up in Erica's truck. They had finished eating so Erica searched her wallet for appropriate amount of cash to cover the check and a tip while Rosalyn gathered up her bags.

"Yes. I just don't want to freak her out. So I have been dodging her question." Roaslyn said.

Erica smiled. "You wont freak her out. She's a Druid, Rose, they are the most unflappable of supernatural species. Plus she already knows. Go out and greet her, I'll make sure the waitress gets this."

Rosalyn smiled and made her way out of the dinner, bags in tow. Erica made her way to the counter and gave the waitress her money. Buy the time she made it outside the kissing was coming to an end, and Braden was making her way to the back of the truck to help Rosalyn load her bags.

"So Braeden, I don't want to say this, because I know you are going to be positively …Deaton-like about it, but you were right. Rose and I needed each other. She is the perfect person to be my first Beta."

Braeden just looked up and gave Erica a tiny smirk. "I was wasn't I?" Was all she said as she finished putting Roaslyn's bags in the trunk of the truck and locked them up before tossing Erica the keys.

Erica glared at her friend as she caught her keys before tossing Braeden her set of keys. Braeden kissed Rosalyn again before making her way toward her bike and putting on Erica's helmet. "Oh by they way, Derek wants to meet my new girlfriend." She told Rosalyn.

Rosalyn froze and Erica growled, sensing her beta's distress at meeting Derek causing her protective instinct to surge. She was not going to let her beta, a woman that had a fear of male alphas, go into a den filled with wolves she didn't know alone. "She doesn't go to  _Wolf's Run_  without me Bray."

Braeden nodded. "We'll figure something out. He's just trying his hand at the big brother act I think. That or trying to learn about how you are doing without having to talk to you. I'll see you two tomorrow. Rose, your coming with us to San Fran right? We can pack up the rest of your things while Erica talks to my aunt."

Rosalyn nodded and Braeden drove away.

"You two have orientation tomorrow during the day right?" Rosalyn asked. Erica nodded in response. "I was going to spend the day job hunting and looking for a place."

Erica opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to tell her beta that she would live at  _Wolf's Run_  with the rest of the pack. That they had plenty of room now that Derek had four new houses built for their growing pack. Biting Rosalyn had healed the brokenness inside her so well that she was able to forget, for a brief moment, that she was no longer a co-alpha of the Hale Pack, and that her mate was not talking to her. The annoyingly optimistic part of her wanted her beta to wait to find a place to live, because they all belonged at  _Wolf's Run_ together.

"I'd start with the elementary schools, they don't start classes for another few weeks, and they may need another teacher. As for living arrangements…you'll stay at the dorm room with Bray and I for now, and when we get your things, we'll put them in storage until we figure out pack housing…okay?" Erica told her.

Rosalyn stepped forward and embraced Erica, and Erica returned the embrace. "You are mates Erica, It will work itself out in the end. Until then I don't mind living in a dorm room again."

Erica broke the embraced and grinned.

"Now, about that run…"

* * *

They ran for hours and didn't end up getting back to the dorm room until around two in the morning. They both ended up pulling the futon out and cuddling together and Erica spilled her entire story.

"Three weeks ago Derek and I woke up to the smell of blood. There was blood everywhere, it covered the sheets and it was coming from me. Naturally we were both freaked. He called his uncle and Melissa, the human nurse I told you about, and they figured out what had happened between the three of them. I was too busy being in shock to help…"

Rosalyn eyes widened in recognition and she whimpered. "I'm sorry Erica…how far along were you?"

"That's the thing. We didn't even know I was pregnant. We went through mating season and I wasn't pregnant after that and that was the only time we didn't use protection. Peter said that if the pregnancy were older than a week we would have all at least smelt the change on me… He then went on to explain that it was common for bitten she-wolves to miscarry within the first year of getting the bite, apparently my internal physiology is still being transformed and takes time to settle. Those types of changes don't provide a healthy environment for a fetus to develop."

"And your mate got angry that your body rejected his child? That's why he is pushing you out of the pack?"

Erica sat up quickly from her position. "Rose, you don't know Derek, and I know that you have a history with male alphas you aren't ready to share with me so I'll let that comment slide." She said glaring down at Rose. "Derek Hale is a good man. He is kind, loving and supportive. If miscarrying our baby was the only thing that happened I'd be lying in his arms tonight."

Rosalyn nodded. "I'm sorry for assuming…it's a knee–jerk reaction I guess."

Erica nodded and settled back down next to her beta. "I felt the extreme loss…that I could have had a pup, a new pack member, and I was grieving for that but I was also relieved. After it sunk in that I was pregnant I had been terrified, Derek assumed that I was upset I lost the baby and so he began talking how that we had plenty of time to get pregnant after my body got used to being a wolf, we could try again. I then had to explain to him that I was terrified of what it would have meant if I hadn't miscarried… That I wasn't ready to be anyone's mother… that I barely know who I am…that I was relieved that my body rejected the baby because the thought of having a child at eighteen, so soon after all the other major changes in my life was the most terrifying thing I could think of."

Rosalyn nodded "But Hale is an older wolf…his wolf is probably demanding he mate and produce pups as soon as possible. That's what caused the fight. You two are in two different places in your life, and probably never thought about talking about such things before because you assumed that since you were so in sync on everything else, you both felt the same about a family."

Erica tilted her head and studied Rose. "Yeah…that's how it started. How did you know?"

"I was in love before, she wasn't my mate but I loved her… " Rose sighed. "I met her when I was in high school, started running with her pack, her cousin was alpha and he reminded me so much of my father and brothers. He was terrifying. But I loved her, so I stuck around. She was older than me, and wanted to settle down, and start having pups. I was seventeen, I wasn't ready for it…" Rose said beginning to cry. "I especially was not keen on the idea she wanted her cousin to have sex with me to father our pups… I didn't know she felt so strongly about settling down, we felt similar on every other subject that came up except that. It ended us."

Erica hugged her beta closer, realizing how similar she and Rose were. "This won't end Derek and I. We are mates. But it started an ugly, fight that when on for days. Insults flew, neither of us could think rationally, fueled by the grief of the loss and anger that the other one wasn't listening to what we had to say. We were fighting, it was bad, but at least we were talking…until I crossed the line and brought up Kate."

"The Argent Hunter that set the Hale Fire about a decade ago?"

"Yes. When Derek was about fifteen he met Paige, fell in love. I don't know exactly how it happened by she was bitten my an alpha of another pack and her body was rejecting the bite…so rather than let his first love suffer…"

"He killed her." Rosalyn said. "Sacrificing your own innocence so someone else doesn't suffer…maybe Hale isn't so bad after all. That is very noble."

Erica nodded. "That's Derek. So naturally he went into a deep depression and was very vulnerable in the months after. Kate Argent swooped in while sixteen-year-old Derek was grieving and vulnerable…she was a decade older, forceful and made him feel special. She used him and hurt him more than I think anyone knows about, he doesn't talk about it at all, not to me, not to his sister, not to Peter…"

"Oh dear, you drew parallels between his relationship with her and your relationship with him…" Rosalyn gasped, "Alpha, with all due respect…"

"It was the lowest of low blows. In the heat of the moment it made sense. I was bitten, introduced to wolves, became an orphan, became a killer, fought for my life an fell in love with the man that changed me… all in a manner of weeks. In the heat of the moment it made sense to blame him for everything. I have never been so wrong in my life. I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, but it was too late, I couldn't take them back and the look on his face… I never had seen anyone so broken in my life. I don't blame him for pushing me away, for not wanting to talk to me, what I said was unforgivable."

"It doesn't mean you don't deserve to be forgiven Erica."

* * *

The two of them lay there talking for a few more hours. The sun was coming up and Erica dreaded attempting to get through the day with no sleep. But was excited to start the day regardless; it was her first official day at college. She and Rose both went through the routine of showering and getting dressed, and coordinating their plans for the day.

She had been giving Rose directions to the local schools when, Rosalyn began to growl. Erica sniffed the air. Braeden was on just down the hall, and by the scent three of her former pack were storming on ahead of her.

The doorknob turned and the light flicked on. "I'm sorry Erica. I swear, they followed me back; I had no say in it." Braeden said entering the room.

"Mini-Deaton, were we supposed to let you navigate the mean streets of Beacon Hills alone? At this ungodly hour?" Jackson said, entering the room followed by Stiles and Isaac.

The three male wolves were glaring towards the futon where Erica and Rosalyn were seated. Rosalyn, feeling threatened by the new males was growling, her eyes flashing yellow.

"Sh, Rose. They wont hurt us." Erica said, calming her beta and standing up, signaling for Braeden to sit next to her mate. Braeden hurried over and sat next to Rose, calming her immediately.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't the home-wreaker…" Stiles said his own eyes flashing yellow, as Isaac shut the door behind them. "Ruin any packs lately? Break any families apart? Steal any Puppy-Alphas from their adoring packs?"

"Stiles…" Erica warned, her eyes flashing red. "Leave her alone. Rose, you can take my truck today. Stiles will drive to my appointment this afternoon." Erica said, grabbing her purse and phone and making her way to the door. "You three can follow me. Rose, call me if you need anything. Bray, I'll see you at orientation in a few hours."

She left the room at that. She knew that the boys were following her, and she wouldn't have to resort to pushing them away from Rose. Jackson walked quickly to her side and she could feel Stiles and Isaac falling into step behind her. It felt good to have them near, but painful because the link she felt with them was not as strong as it had been.

"I thought I asked to be left alone for the night." Erica asked when the finally exited the building, as she looked around for a place to sit. It was still very early in the morning and all the first years were either nursing hangovers or still asleep, so no one was on the quad. She simply opted to lean against the nearest tree, deciding sitting was a bad idea if they were mad and looking for an argument.

"It's a new day. We gave you your night away. Come home now." Stiles sneered, beginning to sound an awful lot like his mate.

"What happened to being supportive of her decision? I remember you saying yesterday that it was her life, she needed to make her own choices." Isaac asked.

"Fuck that." Jackson said.

"What he said, and that was before she bit the home-wrecker, and Mini-Deaton gave her ideas of making her own pack." He responded.

Erica raised her eyebrow at them. "That's two strikes Stiles, one more cheap shot at either my beta or my best friend and I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

"Guess the puppy has some bite." Jackson said with a smile. "Have you checked your phone yet?"

Taken aback by the change in the conversational tone, Erica took a moment to answer. "No."

"We had some progress with your other half last night." Stiles said, his voice losing almost all of its venom and returning to its normal sarcastic, non-threatening tone. "And let me just say, the two of you? Perfect for each other! Never met two people so stubborn in my entire life! And I'm mated to Cora, My brother is a hardheaded idiot, and well… have you met me! But you and SourWolf…you two win it all. So, congrats on that."

She pulled her phone from her purse and saw she had a three new text messages from Derek. The first one was blank.

* * *

**From Derek:**

**meet me after your check-up with Melissa tonight**

* * *

**From Derek:**

**please.**

* * *

"Thank god." She sighed looking to her friends who were all looking at her with anticipation.

"So are mommy and daddy getting back together?" Jackson asked. "How is daddy going to handle mommy's love child? Will all the kids play nice?"

Erica smiled. "Funny jokes Jax. No wonder Kira keeps you around."

"Seriously Puppy, good news texts or bad new texts?" Isaac asked. "Many of us have made attempts at stealing his phone in the past few hours, but he keeps thwarting us."

"And hitting us on the head." Stiles said rubbing the back of his skull.

"We're going to meet tonight." She smiled as hope bubbled in her heart.

Stiles, Isaac and Jackson let out a cheer in happiness and tackled her to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes (a few go with character info below):
> 
> *In My AU Kira is a half kitsune, meaning since she has a human father she will not live hundreds of years like her mother has, she will just live longer than a normal human.
> 
> ^ Hale Wolf- Hale females have the ability to turn into an actual wolf at will. Cora's wolf is Black, and Malia's is grey. In Teen She Wolf, Derek Hale was able to tap into this latent genetic ability and now can change into a beast, but not a wolf, his form is similar to the form Peter Hale took when he was alpha.
> 
> ** Perez pack is mentioned in Chapter 8 of Teen She-Wolf
> 
> ^^ Okay, so. IDK if this is a legit way to get into the US, so please don't take this as gospel. I really just made it up, IDK how, if Rosalyn were a real person, she would go about getting into the US legally.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Characters: Names/Ages/Occupations/Species/and Relationships:
> 
> Aged 18
> 
> Erica Reyes: First Year At Hale College, Alpha (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Derek Hale
> 
> Braeden Deaton: First Year At Hale College, Druid, Emissary To The Hale Pack, Mate Of Rosalyn Perez, Daughter Of Dr. Alan Deaton, Niece Of Marin Morell
> 
> Aged 19
> 
> Kira Yukimura: Sophomore At Hale College, Kitsune* (Thunder), Mate Of Jackson Whittemore
> 
> Aged 20
> 
> Malia Tate: Sophomore At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Hale Wolf^, Mate Of Vernon Boyd, Daughter Of Peter Hale, Cousin Of Derek Hale and Cora Hale, Step-Daughter Of Sarah Martin-Hale, Step-Sister Of Lydia Martin
> 
> Daniel "Danny" Mahealani: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Ethan Jones
> 
> Aged 21
> 
> Cora Hale: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Hale Wolf, Mate Of "Stiles" Stilinski, Sister Of Derek Hale, Cousin Of Malia Tate, Niece Of Peter Hale
> 
> Isaac Lahey: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Scott McCall and Allison McCall-Lahey
> 
> Aiden Jones: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Mate Of Lydia Martin, Brother Of Ethan Jones
> 
> Ethan Jones: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Mate Of Daniel Mahealani, Brother Of Aiden Jones
> 
> Vernon Boyd: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Malia Tate
> 
> Jackson Whittemore: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Kira Yukimura
> 
> Scott McCall: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Allison McCall-Lahey and Isaac Lahey, Son Of Mellissa McCall, Step-Son Of John Stilinksi, Step-Brother Of "Stiles" Stilinski
> 
> ? "Stiles" Stlinski: Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Cora Hale, Son Of John Stilinski, Step-Son Of Mellissa McCall, Step-Brother Of Scott McCall
> 
> Aged 22
> 
> Allison McCall-Lahey: Junior At Hale College, Human, Former Argent Hunter, Mate Of Scott McCall and Isaac Lahey
> 
> Lydia Martin: Junior At Hale College, Banshee, Mate Of Aiden Jones, Daughter Of Sarah Martin-Hale, Step-Daughter Of Peter Hale, Step-Sister Of Malia Tate
> 
> Rosalyn Perez: Pre-K Teacher, Beta (Born) Wolf, Former Omega, Mate Of Braeden Deaton
> 
> Aged 27+
> 
> Derek Hale: CEO Of Hale Holdings, Board Member Of Hale College, Alpha (Born) Wolf, Hale Wolf, Mate Of Erica Reyes, Brother Of Cora Hale, Cousin Of Malia Tate, Nephew Of Peter Hale
> 
> Peter Hale: CFO Of Hale Holdings, Beta (Born) Wolf, Husband/Mate Of Sarah Martin-Hale, Father Of Malia Tate, Step-Father Of Lydia Martin, Uncle Of Derek Hale and Cora Hale
> 
> Sarah Martin-Hale: Teacher At BHHS,Banshee, Wife/Mate Of Peter Hale, Mother Of Lydia Martin, Step-Mother Of Malia Tate
> 
> Melissa McCall: Nurse, Human, Wife Of John Stilinksi, Mother Of Scott McCall, Step-Mother Of "Stiles" Stilinski
> 
> John Stilinksi: Sheriff, Human, Husband Of Mellissa McCall, Father Of "Stiles" Stilinski, Step-Father Of Scott McCall.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

She barely made it to the meeting about on campus employment on time, because apparently rolling around in the grass and tickling her was more important to her pack-brothers than her figuring out how to get a job. Since not many of the Hale Pack that went to school had jobs that weren't volunteer positions their minds were boggled. But despite their efforts to convince her she didn't need to go, she made it.

That meeting lasted only a half hour because of all the orientation meetings. She met Braeden outside the auditorium and they sat together listening to the school administrators talk about school policies and suggest them what they could be doing the second half of the day (tour the town, get to know your neighbors, attend one of the scheduled Q and A sessions, attend the activities fair etc). After that, they stood in lines to get their welcome packets including finalized class schedules and reading lists and information for their academic advisor appointments.

"Why did they make us move in on a Thursday, if they essentially only needed to talk to us for a half a day on a Friday?" Braeden asked flipping through her welcome packet. "We already had our schedules weeks ago, and our books. The only new information is this that we have to email our academic advisors and meet with them by next Friday."

"Not everyone grew up in Beacon Hills, Bray. I guess they wanted to make sure we get settled in before everyone else starts to arrive tomorrow and we start classes on Monday. Give some time to the out-of-towners to get used to Beacon Hills and Hale College campus." Erica responded. "I guess I should call Melissa and let her know I can move up my check-up, I thought this would be an all day thing… I don't really want to go to any of those panels or the activities fair."

"Me either. And don't call Melissa just yet, we have lunch plans." Braeden said. "I told Rose that we'd meet her for lunch at the pizzeria up the street. Call Melissa after."

They walked up the street and got to the pizza place just as Rosalyn was pulling in the parking lot. They waited as she parked. The Beta practically skipped over to where Braeden and Erica stood and Erica felt the happiness radiated through their bond.

"Good news?" She asked as they walked inside and waited to be seated.

"Yes! There were no kindergarten openings but there was an opening in the preschool! They want me to come in for training and lesson planning next week! I got the job!" She said excitedly.

"I'm so happy for you babe." Braeden said hugging her girlfriend and kissing her cheek.

"Me too Rose." Erica said as the waitress came over to lead them to a table. "Not happy enough to kiss you though."

Rose laughed as they sat down. "We'll get there one day Alpha." She said with a wink and Erica couldn't help but laugh. They giddiness from her beta was infectious. "I'm sorry if this is affecting you…I'm just so happy. I have a mate, an alpha, a new town to call home, a great job…I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I've been on my own for so long, it's nice not to be."

Erica felt bad that her news might bring down her beta. From their talks Erica gathered that Rosalyn did not trust male alphas, and by the way Stiles, Jackson and Isaac acted toward her this morning, she probably had a negative view of the Hale Pack. Erica was worried about her beta and the Hale Pack getting along. She really wanted this conversation with Derek to go well and for their two packs to merge, but she also didn't want to put her beta in an uncomfortable situation.

"I'm happy you're happy Rose." Erica said with a smile, while trying to find a way to break the news. Part of her didn't want to say anything, just in case the conversation with Derek didn't go well, she didn't want to bring down Rose's good mood for nothing. But on the other hand, Erica was excited at the prospect of talking to her mate again and wanted to share her excitement with her beta and Braeden.

Rose narrowed her eyes at Erica. "You're holding something back…"

"Derek texted her." Braeden said. "She's probably unsure on how you would receive the news."

Erica kicked her friend under the booth. "Do you have mind reading powers now too you sneaky, all knowing, Druid?"

Braeden grinned. "No. Lydia texted me."

"And how did Lydia know?" Erica asked.

"I really don't know. But you are delusional if you think that Stiles and Isaac didn't initiate their little gossip phone tree after they found out."

Erica was about to retort when she smelt the anxiety and fear coming from her beta. "Rose, it will be fine. We're just talking, he won't hurt either of us."

Bray, obviously knowing a bit more about her partner's past than Erica did, pulled her into a hug in attempt to put an end to the woman's unease. "Rosalyn, Derek isn't like your father, and he isn't like the Jackson Alpha…he will never lay a violent finger on you, neither would his pack. If he did, Erica or myself would tear him apart." Braeden whispered to her mate.

Rosalyn nodded. "But what happens when you get back together, will he make you cast me out?"

"Derek Hale can't make me do anything I don't want to do my dear." Erica told her still shaking beta. "And I would never want to cast you out. I want us to merge into one pack. I want us all to be one big family. I want you to have pack-brothers and pack-sisters. Don't you want that? That feeling of family?"

Rosalyn nodded.

"There is family dinner tonight at  _Wolf's Run_." Braeden said looking at Erica and Rose. "They usually have a party after, Dad never let me stay so I kind of wanted to tonight. I know we said we'd go see my aunt tonight, but we can go in the morning. I don't know if you two will be invited after Erica and Derek talk, but… would you two be angry with me if I go?" She asked.

"Of course not." Erica said.

"I wouldn't mind." Rosalyn said. "Alpha, if he does invite us to a meal…you won't leave my side will you?"

Erica sighed. "I promise you Rose, you will not be alone until you feel at ease okay?"

Rosalyn nodded, and they resumed the meal. They talked about Erica and Braeden's first day, Rosalyn's new job and planned the weekend of moving Rosalyn out of her apartment in San Francisco and a quick visit to Marin Morell.

After they were through, Braeden volunteered to show Rosalyn around town and Erica texted Stiles to come and get her for her check up with his mom.

* * *

She had been in the car for five minutes. They were still parked in front of the restaurant where she had lunch with Braeden and Rosalyn, and Erica had absolutely no clue why they were not moving. All she knew was she was at her wits end due to his antics. Since she got in the car there had been exactly forty audible sighs from her friend in the drivers seat.

"Oh my god Stiles! What?" She said losing her patience.

"You didn't bring me lunch." He sighed again.

Erica glared at the empty fast food containers at her feet; they were new and smelt of a burger and curly fries. "You ate already. Is that really what the dramatic sighing was about?"

"You didn't know I ate dearest Puppy." Stiles said. "And no, I was sighing because, while yes you still smell like our pack, you also smell like the home-wrecker."

Erica quickly grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the steering wheel. "I warned you not to take cheap shots at my beta." She said as he rubbed his face. "Oh, don't be a baby, you're a wolf. You'll heal."

"Have you been reading the 'Derek Hale book of making friends'? Because that situation gave me déjà vu." Stiles told her while shaking his head and starting the car.

She didn't say anything until he made a wrong turn. "We're supposed to be going to your parent's house Stiles."

"No can do. Mom said she needs certain equipment that we can only get at Beacon Hills Memorial or the new sick-bay at  _Wolf's Run_. And since you'd feel awkward at  _Wolf's Run_  until you talk with The King of the Sour-Wolves…"

Since the battle with the Thorne's, there had been many changes at  _Wolf's Run._  Derek had four extra houses built for the growing pack bringing the grand total to eight (not including the Den). He also tore apart the Pool-House apartment and turned it into an infirmary, which along with the files belonging to the late Dr. Deaton, anyone could use to treat supernatural wounds or ailments. Melissa had found this helpful over the last few months (especially after Erica's miscarriage). Stiles and Danny made use of the medical library, they tended to compare and contrast human and werewolf physiology to their pre-med texts while studying. The construction had called for called for some rearranging of living arrangements, but there weren't many complaints.

"Stop calling it sick-bay Stiles. This isn't Star Trek." She said with a smile.

"Quit being such a kill joy Puppy." He laughed. "Oh, and FYI…recap of last night's pack meeting before…you know…the topic of you came up."

"Stiles, don't say anything that will get you in trouble…" Erica warned.

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Anyway, you know that doctor who has seen too much supernatural shit to ignore it anymore? The one who had been hounding mom and dad all summer?"

"Yep. Dr. Joesph. He's a tool."

"Well that tool now officially knows about werewolves as of this morning. Mom and Derek gave him the talk. They figured that it would be nice to have someone else in this town to have their eyes peeled." He told her in a tone that conveyed that he was just as against this decision as she was. "So, on the plus side, one less person that thinks we're in a cult. Yay."

"Why in the hell would he let Dr. Handsy in on our secret?" Erica said under her breath in surprise.

Stiles pulled over at this, giving her a glare. "Excuse you?"

"When I was sick… that's what I called him. He never did anything, but his hands liked to linger. He creeps me out."

Stiles' eyes flashed yellow and he whipped out his phone, beginning to furiously text. "Well, he was supposed to observe Mom giving you your check up today if you were okay with it. But guess what? Big brother Stiles isn't okay with it now. Call your Beta and your Braeden, we're going to  _Wolf's Run."_

A small part of her wanted to say that he had no business ordering her around; she was the alpha. But the other part of her didn't give a shit about rank and did what she was told. He was her pack-brother and if he felt like he needed to protect her she would let him.

"Fine. But everyone is civil to Rosalyn. If Derek and I get back together she'll be your pack-sister like I am, and the girl already has issues with male wolves, so be nice." She growled at him.

Stiles paused from texting to give it some thought. "I suppose she didn't do anything wrong. I'll relay the message. Everyone will be on their best behavior." He said before continuing with his text. "I wish Derek picked up his phone for me, I could just tell him this shit…one butt-dial while Cora and I are having sex and he blocks my calls for life…its unprofessional." Stiles said under his breath as he pressed the send key before calling his mom and telling her the change of plans.

Erica smiled as she dialed her beta's number. "Hey, Rose? I'm sorry to do this to you, but we're going to  _Wolf's Run_  now. I can't do my check up at the hospital, and it seems that my mate has been making bad decisions without me around, so I can't put this off… I will not leave you alone, neither will Bray, I promise. Now tell Bray what's going on and that I'll meet you both at the gates in ten…" Erica then looked out the rearview mirror where she noticed a black camaro had parked and its driver was making his way to her car door. "Okay, maybe you'll just meet Stiles there in ten, he promised to be nice." She said hanging up.

"Dear god. Was he following us around?" Stiles said noticing the man now opening his passenger side door. "Way to look normal Derek. You know if you're trying to repair a relationship, you don't stalk your significant other. Sends a bad message."

Derek simply glared at Stiles and held out his hand for her, still managing not to look her in the eye. Her heart felt like it was in her throat…had it really only been a day and a half since she last saw him?

"Be nice to Rosalyn, please." Erica said, taking Derek's hand and glaring back at Stiles. "Tell her and Bray I'll be there soon, and don't force them to go in the gates if they aren't ready."

Stiles rolled his eyes at her. "Your not my alpha currently so I really don't have to take orders from you if I don't want to... but you are significantly better looking than my alpha so I guess I'll listen. Just this once. You two kids have fun!" He said re-starting his car as she shut the door and walked with Derek towards the camaro.

* * *

They stood in front of the car for a moment. It was very uncomfortable. He was looking at her neck, which did not have her triskele on it, for the first time since he gave it to her. She had forgotten it this morning, in the rush to leave the room and prevent a fight between Jackson, Isaac Stiles and Rose, and now she felt bad. Had she hurt him again?

"Derek? Are we getting in the car? Or are we just going to stand here?" She asked.

The answer surprised her. He grabbed her into a hug and started petting her head and sobbed. She started sobbing too.

"I missed you so much." She told him through her tears.

Moments later came the first words Derek Hale had said to her in weeks. "I missed you too Erica. I love you."

"I love you too Der." She whispered to him. "I'm sorry for what I said, it was uncalled for. I was so angry, I wasn't even thinking."

He pulled back from the hug and looked her in her eyes. She was so happy she was finally speaking to her again she was afraid to say anything else and ruin the moment. So she waited for him to speak.

He did after a few long seconds. "I'm sorry for shutting you out and pushing you away. No matter how bad it gets between us, we should never shut each other out like that."

"We messed up Derek. And we let our pack suffer because of it." Erica sighed. "We let each other suffer because of it. We can't continue like this."

"I know." He said looking up and noticing the prying eyes on the streets observing them. He led her towards the car and they both didn't speak again until they were seated. They turned towards each other. "I need you in my life. I need you with me, at my side. I don't make good decisions knowing you are out there moving on with your life… I love you, and I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advantage of you… but I'm a better person, a better leader with you as my partner."

"No one can make me do anything I don't want to do Derek. I love you too, and I feel like I'm better around you as well." Erica smiled. "And really Derek, Dr. Joseph? That's the human you decided to let in on our secret?"

He looked down in shame. "He seemed trustworthy, and he basically knew already."

"Well, I hope this doesn't blow up in our faces…" She said. "So, how do we do this?"

"What? Forgive each other?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Well, let's table the original fight for now. I don't think we are both in a place that we can calmly talk through those issues without fighting." Erica nodded in agreement. "Right now we need to address your new beta, and ensure that you don't fracture off from the pack when we fight in the future… Bray tells me you couldn't translate our howls last night, meaning that you are well on your way to not being a Hale. We need to fix that, and we need Melissa to give you a clean bill of health."

"I'm not giving Rosalyn up Derek. I like her and she's Braeden's mate. She's had a hard life, I think our pack can be what she needs." Erica said.

"Braeden gave me the cliff notes on her last night. I wanted to accept her into the pack. Once you and I re-form our bond you will feel the connection with my betas again and I'll feel a connection with Rosalyn."

"Really you'll let her in the pack?" Erica said hopefully.

"Of course." Derek said. "Why do you smell worried?"

"Because, I'm worried about the pack not accepting her because I bit her, or her constantly being afraid of you and the boys."

"Unfortunately, there are many wolves like Rosalyn. Mistreated by their home packs or abandoned and orphaned as pups. Most, people like my father, are taken in by other packs, and live relatively normal lives. Some like Ethan and Aiden end up at a breaking point and end up killing their way out of a bad situation. And then there are the runners, like Rosalyn. We'll do our best to make her at ease Erica, but sometimes coddling her is worse, it makes her feel more on edge because she can sense the act."

Erica was grateful at his willingness to accept her beta into the Hale Pack but she was also confused. "I thought packs like the Thorne's rarely exist anymore? There are more wolves out there that hurt their own?" She said in shock, suddenly feeling the need to go on a rescue mission and save every mistreated wolf she could.

"Erica, there are good people and there are bad people, no matter what species they happen to be. The Thorne's were a special brand of bad. But yes, bad people lead some wolf packs. It's a fact of life. It's up to packs that do good to protect their home territory and offer help to anyone that has been mistreated."

"Packs like ours." Erica said.

"Like ours. That is if you want to merge packs. I understand if you want to go off and form a pack of your own."

"No, I want us to be one pack Derek. Yes, I feel the desire to give my bite to others, but I want those people to be ours." Erica admitted.

Derek gave her a smile and leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed back. It felt like the past few weeks were ancient history now that they were talking and she was getting kisses again. They could get through this. They would work on their relationship, and their pack and they would come out of this stupid fight stronger than they were when it started.

That was until a pained howl sounded. At that howl, all hopes for a good day of reuniting and joy were squashed.

They broke the kiss and Derek's eyes flashed red. "I don't know who that was."

Erica felt her face change. Because she was able to translate the howl that simply said:  _Under attack. Help me Alpha._

"Drive me to the preserve Derek. Someone attacked my beta."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

Erica was growling when Derek's phone rang. She could feel her beta's pain. Rosalyn was severely injured and needed her alpha by her side. Derek wasn't driving fast enough for her tastes. She was tempted to grab the wheel from him.

Derek picked up the phone and put it on speaker. "What?" he said.

" _Erica's beta was attacked in the woods a few miles outside the property. Shot five times with wolfsbane bullets. Melissa and Braeden are treating her in the infirmary now."_

"Who attacked her?" Erica growled, examining her link with Rose. The beta was weak and unconscious, but she would live. Erica hackles rose even though her beta was safe because she felt intense pain and worry from Rosalyn through the bond.

" _Malia and the guys are tracking the scents now. There were five human scents; definitely hunters but we lost them. They probably got into a car. The other four scents were wolf. Everyone but the twins and I are out looking for those wolves…. which brings me to my next thing. Rosalyn wouldn't let any of the wolves touch her until she saw Ethan and Aiden."_

Erica was puzzled. The twins were great, but that made no sense. They were not the least threatening looking of the Hale Pack, especially with their blue eyes in wolf form. But then Erica gave it some thought, thinking about the history of her two friends and her new beta. "Which pack adopted Ethan and Aiden when they were pups? The one that treated them horribly enough for Deucalion to talk the boys into killing them all?" Erica asked Derek.

"The Jackson Pack in Los Angeles. The twins met Deucalion when they were seventeen." Derek said. "Why?"

"Because Braeden and Rosalyn were talking earlier today, Rose was nervous about meeting you and the pack. Bray said that you were nothing like the Jackson Alpha. Rose lived in LA until about a year ago. How much you want to bet she knew the twins before they went all Dark Side with the Alpha Pack?"

" _Well, its good that she trusts them then, because she wouldn't let anyone else near her besides them, Melissa and Braeden. She keeps insisting that she's not safe and neither are the pups, and keeps yelling for you to save them. She won't let Melissa near enough to get a scan and check on her babies."_

"What pups? Rosalyn isn't pregnant."

" _She kept on insisting that the pups are in danger. Bray had to knock her out because she wouldn't calm down."_

Erica felt intense worry for her beta, was Rosalyn losing her mind? As Derek told his sister that they would be there soon and turned the car around to go towards  _Wolf's Run_ , Erica looked at him pleadingly. "Derek, please get us to her fast, I need to be near her."

Her mate nodded. "Just a few more minutes, and we'll be there." After a moment of quiet worry, he took his free hand and grabbed hers for comfort before he spoke again. "Erica, if there are hunters and another pack in town…"

Erica finished his thought for him, because he seemed hesitant to, probably worried about forcing her into a situation that she was not ready for. God, did she hate herself for bringing up his relationship with the Argent bitch. He may forgive her, but her words were obviously still affecting him. "It's dangerous for any of us to live outside of  _Wolf's Run_ …I know." She said squeezing his hand. "I didn't really want the whole dorm experience anyway, I just didn't want to live at our home when you weren't speaking to me." She sighed. "Braeden, she might take some convincing. So will Melissa and the Sheriff. Rose will go where Bray and I go."

"Braeden will move into the house I had built for her and she'll like it." He growled, using his alpha voice, and sounding very … Hale –like. "She's not just my Emissary, she's practically family. As for John and Melissa, I think that their sons have had success in convincing them to move to  _Wolf's Run_  eventually, at least part time."

Erica nodded and sighed, anxious about the state of her beta, and about how everything seemed to be happening all at once. "Derek this is fucked up. We are fighting, our pack is fractured, my beta is injured and has probably lost her mind, there are hunters in town and a new pack of wolves on our territory…have I missed anything?"

"Beside Alison wanting the bite and the fact that her parents have decided to move back? No." He said dryly. At her shocked expression he added, "Oh yeah, apparently her and her mates have been discussing it for awhile and choose yesterday to talk to me about it. So there's that."

"What? Is this one of your sick jokes?" She glared at him, when he shook his head, indicating it was not a joke she said. "Why is this all happening at once?"

"My Mom used to say that Mother Moon likes to test her children, and that these tests prove to her that we are worthy of the gift she gave us. That we would always use it to help others, and value pack and family above all other things." Derek said as he pulled up to the gated of  _Wolf's Run_  and punched in the security code. "Perhaps she thought that our pack needed a reminder that we are better together."

"I don't think our pack lost sight of that Derek." Erica said as her mate drove down the long drive, and she was filled with a sense of comfort. Being back at  _Wolf's Run_  made her insides feel content, like she had not been home in years ands she was finally safe. "I think we did. We lost sight of what was important just because we disagreed and now…now it's up to us to fix it while dealing with all these new crisis's at once."

Derek was silent the rest of the drive, and did not speak again until he parked in front of the pool-house, which held the infirmary. "We can do this, deal with this all one thing at a time, and do it together. Who knows, maybe we can fix what is wrong with us while we keep our pack safe…" He said hopefully as the exited the car and he held out his hand for her. "First things first, let's go check on your beta."

She grabbed his hand and they walked towards the pool-house and up the stairs to the infirmary.

* * *

The sight was as she expected. Melissa and Braeden were fussing over a bed that held an unconscious Rosalyn. The Twins stood off to the side, worried expressions on their faces. Peter, John, Cora and Allison were at the other side of the room, examining bloody bullets and shell casings, comparing them with books about wolfsbane that Sarah and Lydia were poring over.

"Where's Kira?" Erica asked, alerting everyone to her presence.

"Running around the woods with Malia and the boys. In case they run into hunters again, having someone who is not affected by tasers is helpful." Cora said, looking at Derek and Erica's joined hands.

"That's all anyone had to do to get you two speaking? Get shot?" Lydia said, before her mother elbowed her in the ribs.

Erica ignored her and let go of Derek's hand, rushing to Rose's bedside taking note of the blood pouring from her wounds. "Why isn't she healing Bray?" Erica growled.

Braeden looked near tears, Erica hand nearly forgotten that human (or in this case Druid) mates could feel when their mates were in peril almost as well as wolf mates could. "It's a combination of things. First the strands of wolfsbane in the bullets, they were the nastiest I've seen I was able to draw it out before it killed her, but… she doesn't have enough strength."

"She is a wolf, she can heal. The pack link will help her." Erica said, missing her friends point.

"Blondie…"Ethan said, and Erica turn her attention to him. He and Aiden had unshed tears in their eyes and looked like a pack member just died. It made her think that they knew Rosalyn well five years ago when she ran with their pack, but her curiosity would have to wait. "Her pack link is just you. It's not enough to keep her from dying."

Erica felt herself start to shift in anger. What kind of alpha wasn't strong enough to keep a their beta alive? She felt like an absolute failure.

"Derek. We need to merge packs. Now." She said shaking in anger, before turning to Braeden. "That would be enough strength to heal her right? The power of two alphas, eleven betas, three humans, two banshees, a kitsune and a druid will be enough?"

Braeden nodded. "More than enough. You have to swear fealty to each other and bite each other, like you were taking on a new beta."

She turned to Derek. "Please?"

He nodded. "I, Alpha Derek Hale, swear fealty to you, Alpha Erica Reyes. I promise to rule our untied pack as one pair, as mates, as partners in all things."

She stepped forward to him and grabbed his hand. "I, Alpha Erica Reyes, swear fealty to you, Alpha Derek Hale. I promise to rule our untied pack as one pair, as mates, as partners in all things."

They both shifted once she finished speaking and attacked each other's necks. Derek bit her in almost the same spot where her turning bite was, so Erica went for a similar place on the left side of his throat.

As soon as they both had broken flesh she felt the pack links with the Hales grow stronger once more and this time the link she had with Rosalyn was there, as if it had been there all along, intermingled with all the other links. Her beta was now Derek's beta, and Derek's betas were her betas. The feeling was so exhilarating she nearly fainted.

She felt powerful again. Not that she had ever been weak, but an alpha with no strong connection with a pack was not as powerful as they could be. Now she had her own beta, she'd never be lonely again but she also had the Hale Pack again. She never wanted to lose the safety and security that being linked to these amazing beings gave her.

She shifted back to human and pulled back from Derek's neck, as he did the same. Melissa was there with rubbing alcohol and gauze, cleaning the wounds before they healed.

"Mel, you do know that they will heal just fine on their own." John said, laughter in his voice.

Melissa huffed as she finished her quick clean just as the bites healed. "These kids bleed too much. I know wolves can't get seriously ill but with this pack's luck a simple nip like these causes an infection that herbs can't cure.," she said walking back over to Rosalyn's bedside.

Erica followed. "How is she now?"

Melissa lifted up the bed sheet, examining Rose's wounds as Bray placed a kiss to Rose's forehead.

"Her heartbeat is stronger." Aiden said, his voice hopeful.

Erica let out sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." She said before turning to Peter and the others that had been conducting research. "What do we know about her attackers? And why in the hell was she running around the woods by herself?"

"She was nervous. She didn't feel ready to meet the pack, was afraid of how they would treat her." Braeden said. "I kept telling her that no one would hurt and everyone was nice, just to give them a chance. Once Stiles pulled up and invited us in the gate, she decided to go for a run to calm down, she didn't want to come in without you. She was only gone a few minutes before the pack started hearing gunshots, and she howled."

Cora then took over. "We knew the only wolf unaccounted for was your beta, and while most of us weren't happy you began your own pack, we love you and if you care about someone we care. So everyone who could run quickly ran to the rescue. By that time the hunters were gone and so were the other wolves."

"The bullets are a rare mix of wolfsbane." Allison said, anger and anxiety seeping into her voice. "A mixture used by all Argent trained hunters."

Erica narrowed her eyes. "Your parents are in the business of hurting wolves that have committed no crimes?" she asked.

"They weren't my parents. My parents and their men are in Nevada, hunting some sort of were-cat serial killer. They have made noise about settling down here once they are done with that hunt." Allison told them. "Which brings up a whole slew of problems for me and the pack, but we can talk about that and about my request later. Right now, there are some distant cousins of mine in town that are shooting first and asking questions later."

"And four wolves running around on our territory… and based on Kira's last text, one is injured." Cora said.

Derek sighed. "This is what we get for having six months of peace-time… Do we have any indication if these wolves are friendly or hostile?"

"No, just that there are three males and a female. And one of the male's is injured." Cora said. "Everyone is on high alert, just in case they are a threat."

At Cora's words Rosalyn sat up abruptly in the bed. "Alpha! The puppies! We have to save the puppies! They are not safe!"

Erica rushed to her betas beside. "Rose, you are safe. We are among pack. I merged packs with Derek. Do you not feel safe here?"

Rose looked desperate, "Alpha, I'm safe. I feel safe. My Wonder Twins are here and these other people smell like pack. But the puppies are not safe! The hunters are trying to kill the puppies!"

Erica had no ungodly clue what Rose was saying, and looked desperately to Derek.

Aiden spoke. "Rosie, there are no puppies. No one is pregnant in the pack. The pack is safe. The hunters are gone."

"None of you understand." Rose screamed in frustration. "There are four pups in the woods. They were running from hunters. I distracted the hunters and got shot so the pups could run to safety. I told them to run here…but they didn't did they?"

"No babe," Braeden said. "The pack only found you, and can't seem to find the four wolves that were with you."

Erica's heart stopped. The Argent hunters were after children? There were injured frightened children running around the woods? She felt extremely murderous imagining what the hunters had done to the pack these children were from and how scared the poor pups must be.

"They are born wolves!" Rose said, in hysterics. "They must have masked their scents as they ran…I may have told them there were two packs in this area…oh no, what if we can't find them and that little boy dies!"

"Not on my watch." Derek growled. "Erica, come with me. Rosalyn smells like you. If these kids get a whiff of you they might be inclined to come out of hiding."

Erica nodded and she and Derek began to leave the room. She heard the rustling of bed sheets and Braeden and Melissa's cries of 'No.' and halted in the doorway, sending a glare to her beta. "You stay here Rosalyn. We will find the pups, you need to heal. Aiden, Ethan, please make sure she stays in that bed." Erica said before she and Derek resumed their exit.

Once outside again they ran as one out the back gate and howled.

 _They are children._  She and Derek howled together.  _We are on our way._

"Now if I were a scared wolf-pup, where would I hide from hunters and other packs?" She asked Derek.

He looked thoughtful a moment before looking to her. "I know of a few places, but by the time we search them all it with be too late." He said pulling her hair from the hair tie. "Take off that jacket too, we want them to catch your scent and come to us. So we are going to run around for a bit and hope that we either catch their trail or they scent you."

Erica nodded and took off her jacket, throwing it by the gate. "Okay Der, let's go for a run."

At that the Alpha-pair of the Hale Pack began running off towards the boundaries of the preserve.


	5. Chapter 5

After a few minutes of running, she heard it, a tiny whimper coming from a small cavern in the earth. She grabbed Derek, to stop him from running further.

 _Found them. I need Scott and Malia. Too many of us will scare them._ He howled as she stepped toward the cavern.

"Little ones? My name is Erica. My friend Rose sent me to find you." She said in her softest, non-threatening voice.

"I think we is safe now, Raul. Blonde-lady smells like the lady who saved us from the bad people." A tiny female voice whispered from the cavern.

"Be quiet." An older voice whispered back. "She is an alpha, and she's with an alpha, they both smell like the pack that was just chasing us."

"They weren't chasing you." Derek said from behind her. "We were looking for you. We want to help."

Erica nodded. "We hear one of you is injured, and you all must be tired and hungry. We want to help you and keep you safe from the hunters."

"Told you!" The little female squeaked out, running from the cavern, and straight for Erica. The poor thing was covered in dirt and mud, had bloodstains on her torn clothing, and leafs and twigs sticking out of her curly dark red hair, but still managed to smile as she ran towards Erica. Erica smelt the relief rolling off the tiny she-wolf.

 _These pups have been on the run for awhile._ Her inner wolf concluded.  _Our pack will keep them safe._

Erica caught the tiny body as she leapt into her arms. "We is safe now. I'm Juliet. I'm five." The little girl said cuddling into Erica. "Connor! Diego! Raul! Come out! We is safe!"

At Juliet's urging the three boys filed out of the cave. First came a tiny boy, with brown hair, tears running down his face. He was covered in blood and dirt, and from what Erica could smell, some of the blood was his own. Two much older boys followed behind him, keeping him upright. They looked to be in similar states but were not currently injured as far as Erica could tell, but they all looked exhausted and like they were not going to make the journey to  _Wolf's Run_.

"That's my baby brother Conner." Juliet informed, as Erica set her down to approach the boy. "And our friends Raul and Diego. They is brothers. Our mommies were best friends. That makes the four of us pack."

Malia and Scott arrived on the scene in time to see the boys exit. Derek and Scott tried to approach the boys, but the older two growled and backed up.

"Juliet? Could you go with my friend Scott? My other friends Derek and Malia need to help me get your pack to our home."

Juliet looked thoughtful. "He's nice right?"

Erica nodded her head. "Yes, he is nice."

Juliet nodded and ran toward Scott who picked her up with ease.

Erica slowly approached the three boys, and knelt down to examine Connor. Deigo and Raul let out soft warning growls at her but she ignored them while she gently examined the whimpering boy. A wolfsbane bullet grazed him. It wasn't healing and the poison was taking longer to reach his heart and kill him because only a little of it got into his system. She needed to get him to Braeden and Melissa fast.

"Your very hurt Connor, I'm going to have my friend Malia carry you to our home okay? She is a very fast runner and is going to take you to get healed okay?" Erica said looking in to the tear-filled brown eyes.

The boy whimpered in response, but the oldest boy responded. "As long as one of us is near him he will be fine. Connor hasn't spoken much since our moms died."

Erica nodded and waived Malia over. Her friend picked up the tiny boy with care and began running towards Wolf's Run, Scott followed behind her.

"You are going to kill us now right?" The oldest boy asked. "Julie and Connor are little and will obey easier, my brother and I are too old for you to take in."

Erica narrowed her eyes. "I don't make a habit of killing children. Neither does my mate. Right Derek?"

She felt him approach and watched as the two boys in front of her held their ground even though she could smell their fear. She didn't blame them for being afraid. Lord knows how long they had been on the run from hunters and now they were in front of two alphas.

"We are not going to kill you." Derek said as he kneeled next to her. "We intend to help. And you are never to old to integrate into a new pack…Wolves change packs all the time."

The two boys narrowed their eyes at Derek, then at Erica, most likely trying to get a sense of if they were lying. After a minute or so of silence, the boys nodded.

"I assume you are exhausted. Would you mind if we carried you two back to our home?" Erica asked.

The younger boy jumped into Erica's arms. "We've been running for a long time." He told her. "Raul, let the man carry you, you haven't slept in days."

Erica stood up, with the boy in her arms as Raul glared at his brother, before huffing and walking closer to Derek. "You can carry me, but I'm not going to like it. Only babies get carried."

Derek chuckled and picked the child up. When he stood up he looked to her. "Ready?" He said while making sure he had a firm grip on Raul.

"Ready." She said adjusting Diego slightly.

With that they ran home.

* * *

By the time Erica and Derek arrived back at the infirmary, Melissa and Braeden were both working on healing the wounded, unconscious Connor and Juliet seemed determined not to ever let go of Scott.

"Why should I let you go Silly? You will protect me." The little girl insisted as Erica and Derek set Diego and Raul down on the bed next to Connor's.

Erica then took a moment to notice of who was present in the room. Rosalyn was sound asleep in her bed, and the twins had pulled up chairs to her bedside. Sarah was trying to coax the Juliet off of Scott's shoulders so she could help the girl clean up and see if she was injured. John and Peter had begun a similar routine with the boys she and Derek just brought in, Raul seemed skeptical of the situation but he and his brother cooperated.

"Where is the rest of the pack?" She asked.

"And how are our injured?" Derek asked immediately after her.

"Kira, Malia and Lydia went to the store to get a start on a wardrobe for the pups; Allison and Cora are securing the back gate, they should be back soon; and the boys went to start dinner, they said that they'd transport everything up here when they were done so we could eat and talk as a pack." Melissa said, not looking up from her work on Connor. "Rosalyn needs another hour or two of rest before she can move around, and as for our littlest patient, he will be fine once Ms. Deaton finishes drawing the poison out."

This got Peter talking; while he and John were finishing examining the older boys. "These two seem to be fine. Underfed, in need of sleep, and frightened but there seem to be no open wounds…"

"We'll get them into a bath once the girls come back with clothing…" John reported, confirming what Peter had said.

"I'd love to tell you how this one is doing," Sarah sighed giving up on pulling Juliet off of Scott. "But she seems to have taken a liking to Scott."

"He's going to be my big brother. Of course I like him Aunt Sarah!" Juliet then quickly covered her mouth. "Uh-Oh." She whispered behind her hands.

The room seemed to pause at her comment, and the little she-wolf took that opportunity to climb off of Scott and onto the bed meant for her. Sarah began to examine her for injuries while the room stayed quiet.

Erica turned to the older boys. Diego held his head in his hands and let out a sigh of exhaustion, and Raul was glaring at the little she-wolf. "Care to share what she is talking about boys?"

"Juliet and Connor's mom was a Seer…that's how we were able to escape the hunters, she knew where to hide us. When she died, Juliet started to see things." Raul said. "She's not very good at it, because her dad was human and she is so little, but she can some things. Most of the time she can't distinguish between something that has happened and a vision."

"I saw her save us." Juliet said pointing to a sleeping Rosalyn. "That was my first ever vision after mommy and auntie died. Are you mad Alpha? Are you going to hurt us because of my visions? Mommy said that bad people hurt us because of the family gift."

Erica looked to Derek and they both told the child in unison. "You are safe here."

"Can we join your pack?" Diego asked hesitantly. His brother hit him lightly in his arm, as if the question offended him. Erica looked over Raul. It seemed like the small boy had been a stand-in Alpha for their little group since their mothers died.

"If you want too, of course you can." Derek told the boy.

Juliet and Diego sent hopeful looks to Raul, as if seeking the older boys approval. "Fine." Raul said, "But the female-Alpha claims us," he was then tackled by his giggling brother.

"Why me?" Erica whispered, not loving the idea of biting children.

"He said it was just them and their moms," Derek told her, "He has probably never met an adult male wolf before, he's more likely to trust you…You did say you needed your own Betas, biting these kids will stabilize you, and make it easier for the pack to accept Rosalyn's entry."

Erica didn't love the idea of biting children, but understood their preference of her as an alpha as opposed to Derek. When she first met Derek he sort of terrified her, he was an intimidating presence, she was used to it now but could see why these children would be so uneasy about it. "Fine." She agreed, "I'll claim them."

Juliet clapped. "Bite Connor first!" She said. "It will help him heal!"

"I can't yet." Erica told the girl. "He has to swear fealty to me…" she paused to look at the wolves in the room. "Doesn't he? How do I go about making a child part of my pack?"

Derek looked just as confused as she was, having never needed to know about how children were inducted into new wolf packs so they looked to Peter.

"Typically, if there is a parent around, the parent gives their permission and you bite the child. If there is no parent you can simply bite the child. There is no oath needed from either party." Peter said.

"That's where the trouble comes from." Ethan said from across the room, his voice rough. "An alpha can bind a child to the pack, and the child has no choice. That's how Aiden and I were bound to our old pack."

"But we are not like that pack." Derek told them. "We will treat these pups right."

"We know…"Aiden said in a solemn tone. "Seeing Rosie again is just bringing up things Ethan and I would rather forget."

Erica nodded in understanding. There was a story there, probably a story that would make her very upset. The twins tone caused Melissa to startle and rush to their sides trying to comfort the boys and Erica was reminded of a conversation she had months ago with Melissa. How this pack was filled with people that were neglected, orphaned, abused, bullied or experienced great loss. Now they had all found each other and were a family. Rosalyn and these pups would fit right in.

So she walked over to the sleeping Connor and bit his wrist as gently as she could. Braeden immediately cleaned the wound, and Erica could feel the link forming as he little boy got stronger, using his new pack link to help heal.

Juliet then hopped onto the foot of Connor's bed and held out her wrist with a smile. "Me next!" She squeaked.

Erica smiled, and bit the tiny wrist just as carefully as she bit Connor's. Juliet grabbed the peroxide soaked towel from Braeden's hands and cleaned her own wound.

Erica took a deep breath as the link with Juliet formed, right next to her brothers. They were young children so it wasn't like the rush of power she experienced when she bit Rosalyn, but she still felt a bit drunk. She understood how alphas could get crazed with power; because adding to her pack was better than any high she could imagine a drug giving her.

She felt Derek grab her hand. He felt it too, and was trying to anchor her. "I'm fine," she mumbled opening her eyes and turning to the boys on the next bed over. Diego was holding out his wrist with a tentative smile and Raul was sitting with his arms crossed watching her warily.

She repeated the process with Diego, and paused as John was cleaning the boy's wrist. Diego was excited to be her beta, but worried. The worry was concerning his big brother. Raul was glaring at her, and the concern and fear was coming off him in waves. This boy was not comfortable being bitten, but did not want to be separated from his brother and their friends.

"Raul, I wont bite you if you don't want me to." She said, and Diego began to protest before she spoke again. "I will not separate you from your brother, and I will protect you as long as you want me too, even if you don't want to be in my pack."

Those words calmed down Diego and the fear/concern she smelt from Raul ceased. "I can stay, even if you don't bite me?" He asked. "You wont make me leave or throw me to the hunters?"

"Of course not." Erica said in alarm. "What have I done to make you think I would do that?"

"You are an alpha." Raul said matter-of-factly. "Mom said alphas are ruthless killers that only care about power. That's why she was a lone wolf."

"Well not this pack." Derek said, sensing her inability to form words. "Our pack is our family and we care about protecting our family."

Raul looked thoughtful, and glared at Derek as if he were sizing him up. "I want a family too." Raul said after a moment, his voice losing its venom, finally sounding like a child rather than an adult in a child's body. "Alpha Erica, Can I be apart of your pack…your family?" He said holding out his wrist.

Erica smiled and nodded, before biting his wrist.

* * *

Erica passed out from the power-rush after biting Raul. Adding five betas to your pack in less than twenty-four hours is not something she wanted to have to do again. The power high was great but the crash was not. When she woke she was alone.

She sat up quickly, the infirmary was empty and she heard laughter and growls outside. So she quickly descended the stairs and made her way to the field behind the pool-house that the pack used for training.

The scene she found when she arrived surprised her. The picnic tables that the used to sit on were pulled together to form one large table, similar in size to the dining room table and was covered in a few disposable tablecloths. And everyone was beginning to sit down around it and dig into the meal that had been brought outside.

All five of her betas looked like they had recovered from their injuries, were freshly cleaned and changed and were smiling. Rosalyn sat across from the twins and Danny and in between Lydia and Braeden, and she did not look the least bit uncomfortable. Juliet was sitting with Connor between Melissa and John, tt seemed like while shopping for clothing for them someone had the though to get the kids booster seats because Juliet was sitting tall in hers and Connor was wigging out of his climbing onto John's lap. Raul had a wicked smile on his face as Malia chastised him for him mocking Juliet since he and Diego didn't need baby-seats to reach the table. Diego was rolling his eyes and grinning as he cuddled up next to Sarah while she helped fix him a plate.

Everyone was smiling and telling stories as they passed around plates and trays of food. She had missed this, this feeling of completeness, of pack. She had missed everyone's laugh, their joy, the teasing, and the feeling of family that they lost when she and Derek messed everything up. This felt right. She was glad that the pack was back together again.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a roll making contact with her forehead. She heard snorts and the laughter increased.

"Who did that?" She said with a grin glaring at Stiles and Isaac, who were most likely to have done such a thing.

"Hey, Don't look at us." Isaac said with a grin. "We don't waste food like that."

She then looked to Derek.

"It wasn't me." He laughed, waving her over and patting the empty space between himself and Boyd.

She made her way over and sat, beginning to fix her own plate as the conversations all resumed. About an hour later, she had given up on finding out who threw the roll at her and was content to listen to the conversation around her, when she noticed Boyd making a grab for the breadbasket, giving her the side-eye with a uncharacteristically large grin on his face.

"You jerk." She growled at him. "You threw the roll at me."

Boyd's grin turned into a full-blown smile. "You have no proof of this Reyes." He said taking a bite out of his new roll. "If no one saw it, it didn't happen."

"Is that what they teach in your pre-law classes?" She asked, "Because if so, that professor should be fired for lazy teaching. I will have my revenge Vernon Boyd."

Boyd rolled his eyes at her and continued eating. Apparently her threat wasn't that threatening to him.

Across the table, Stiles was having an emotional crisis as he glared down towards the end the tables where Rosalyn sat. "Do we do five separate puppy piles? Or one?" He whispered fiercely so her betas could not hear, the meal was winding down, so most everyone was talking at this point rather than eating and talking. "You have no idea the dilemma you have created puppy-Alpha! We have traditions to uphold! How are we going to surprise them with five separate puppy piles? Will we hurt the tiny ones if we all do a puppy pile? Will they not feel special enough if we welcome all five of them at once?" He sighed dramatically.

"How about you all surprise Rose first and then if the kids want to join in they will?" She suggested. "I'll throw them on top so they don't get hurt."

He gave her a thoughtful look. "Okay, that sounds good, especially since I was kind of a jerk to Rose earlier." He said before narrowing his eyes at her, "Just remember, you're a lame alpha now. You can't join in. You have to be the no fun police and pull us off."

Erica pouted a bit at this. She loved puppy piles.

Boyd patted her back. "Don't worry Reyes, you just aren't allowed in on this particular puppy pile. It's about beta bonding."

"Fine. Better do it soon, before it gets dark. We still have to clean up this mess and the sun is already going down." Erica said. "Is everyone done?" She asked in her normal voice so everyone with supernatural hearing could hear.

The table started to quiet down and she stood up. "Is everyone done?" She asked and everyone nodded. "Good, because there is a tradition for new betas of the Hale pack that I want to get over with soon so we can clean up this mess before it gets dark."

Rosalyn and the puppies looked nervous, but every other wolf at the table looked excited.

"Juliet, Connor, Raul and Diego can sit out if they want to." Stiles said standing up and poking Cora until she got up too. "We've never welcomed a kid before so we don't want to accidently hurt you."

Rose looked nervous as all the wolves began to stand. "They aren't going to hurt you Rosalyn. I promise, no one in this pack will harm anyone." Erica said moving back from the table and waving Rosalyn over.

Once her beta was by her side, and they were a safe distance from the table, Stiles and Cora yelled "Puppy Pile!" in unison. All the adult wolves (besides Peter, Derek and Herself) tackled Rosalyn, and in seconds Rosalyn's laugher filled the air.

"You aren't going to joining them Peter?" Sarah asked standing up, piling empty plates on each other like the other non-wolves were. Erica noted Allison was still sitting and watching the pile with a wistful look on her face.

He shook his head and began to stack dishes too. "No, I feel to old to join in." He said and looked down at the two boys he sat next to during the meal. "You kids should join in."

Diego, like Juliet and Connor, was bouncing up and down with desire to join in, But Raul looked skeptical. "No, if you aren't going to play, I wont."

"Great, we have a mini-Peter on our hands." Lydia said. "I'd be afraid if it wasn't so adorable."

Erica snorted at this and repressed a "aw" at the admiration towards Peter she felt from Raul, as she felt a tiny pull on he pant leg.

Connor, Juliet and Diego were lined up next to her, and Connor simply pointed toward the mass of giggling betas as Diego said. "Can we join?"

Derek scooped up Diego and Juliet and walked them towards the pile, placing them on top. Before stepping back to supervise. Erica picked Connor and walked him over and placed him on top with his sister and Diego. In moments their giggles and tiny growls joined in.

"Raul." She said, catching the young boy look at the puppy pile in envy. "Derek and I will break this up soon, so you should join in now before it's over."

The boy looked up to Peter, who simply rolled his eyes and scooped the kid up and deposited onto the pile. "Children." Peter said in an exasperated, yet fond tone.

She and Derek let the fun go on a minute longer before they began to pull betas off Rosalyn and telling them to help the non-wolves clean up. They saved pulling off the kids until last, and Erica helped Rosalyn up.

Erica held Derek's hand and watched silently as her pack made its way inside. They were laughing and bickering like they usually did. Some of the argument was about whose turn it was to do the dishes (Malia and Kira were trying to get out of kitchen duty), others was what activity was the best after dinner activity (a pack meeting or watching The Avengers) and another was on whether Friday was supposed to be a game night, a movie night or a dance party night.

Her betas seemed to have integrated into her pack seamlessly and Erica couldn't have been happier. Connor and Juliet had each clung onto John's legs and the Sheriff tried moving with them on for a few steps before Melissa picked up Juliet, ending the game. Connor pouted until John picked him up and made his way towards the house. Raul and Diego were arguing with Lydia, trying to get her to let him help carry something. Peter growled and simply picked up the two boys and threw them over each shoulder, ending any argument. Rosalyn was being carried in piggy-back style by Danny as the male wolf quizzed her about what his mate was like when he was younger.

"Erica?" Derek asked, bringing her out of her trance. "Whats wrong?"

She smiled up at him. "Absolutely Nothing. Everything feels right again."

"Well there's plenty wrong. That Doctor, The hunters, The Argents moving back, whose going to adopt those kids, how we are going to explain those kids, moving everyone back here before Monday and Allison wanting the bite…" Her mate rambled off before her kiss shut him up.

"Shh, SourWolf. Save it for the meeting we are having soon." She said, "Besides all that, how do you feel?"

"Content." He said with a sigh. "You are back, our pack is healthy, we have new betas… everything feels right."

"Exactly." She grinned at him. "Now would you mind carrying me in my love?"

"Why? Are you still feeling tried?" He asked with concern.

Erica shook her head. "No. Just want you to hold me."

Derek groaned. "Erica…"

"Derek…" She mimicked.

"Fine." He said in defeat.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear, once he picked her up. The jerk knew how ear-whispers affected her! Now she had to sit through a pack meeting aroused!

"I love you too, you jerk."

They both laughed as he walked them into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?


	6. Chapter 6

As most of the pack was cleaning up from dinner (even though most of them weren't on the schedule for tonight) Allison and Derek caught Erica up on what happened during the time she was asleep. Apparently she had been out for nearly three hours, in that time Melissa gave her a clean bill of health, Connor and Rose healed and began interacting with the pack, and Lydia, Kira and Malia came back with and SUV filled with clothes and toys for the pups. Raul's demeanor became less wary once he felt the pack bond and he and all the kids didn't put up much of a fuss at being bathed and put in new clothes.

"Lydia has plans on going all out in decorating their rooms." Allison warned, "She has already begun drawing up plans and has consulted each pup on what they like the best. Except Connor, he still won't talk. As soon as we find out who is adopting the kids, you can expect a large dent in the pack expense account to be made."

"I think they have already chosen their adoptive families by themselves." Derek rolled his eyes. "As for Lydia, she doesn't have access to the pack expense account without my say so. So she can forget about an over the top shopping spree."

"Lydia doesn't have access but Malia does." Erica reminded him.

At this Derek let out a groan. Malia was not a 'girly-girl' and disliked shopping, but she was Peter's child, and inherited her father's love of annoying Derek at all costs. If an over the top shopping spree with her step-sister caused Derek a headache, then Malia would participate.

"What do you mean they have already picked their adoptive families?" Allison asked after a moment.

"Pups are more instinctual, especially if they are orphaned and have been through trauma." Derek explained, "They are able to sense the most powerful and compatible couples in a new pack and instinctually chose which pair would be the best protectors and parents for them. The alpha-pair or pack elders, as they are typically the strongest and most stable mate-bonds in a pack, get the option to take the pups in before any other mated pairs, but if the pups don't find them compatible they wont take them in."

Erica thought over what she had observed during dinner. "Our Elders are John, Melissa, Peter and Sarah…and the pups seemed to have gravitated towards them. Do you think they sense the bond too? Or that Melissa and John know what this means?"

"I explained the possibility of this happening to Sarah, John and Mel earlier when the pups took a nap after their bite." Peter said waltzing into the room followed by Melissa. Melissa carried a half-asleep Connor with in her arms and was smiling. They both sat down near Allison and Erica before Peter continued. "And then we explained it to our adult children. I knew since I am the oldest wolf and Sarah is a powerful banshee, the older boys would gravitate towards us because they have witnessed more traumas and need strong protectors. Since the younger two are mostly human they would be more likely to gravitate toward Mel and John."

Erica nodded. Allison and Derek had already explained that upon further examination and questioning of the pups they found that Raul and Diego were pure born wolves and Juliet and Connor were not. Raul and Diego's mother and father originated from a pack in Texas, and a hunter killed their father before Diego was born. Juliet and Connor's mother had a wolf father and a human mother, and both her children's fathers were human. Due to some sort of genetic quirk the youngest Betas had all the perks of being a wolf but did not have the ability to shift into wolf form.

"So I take it you and your partners are okay with taking the pups on as your own?" Derek asked Melissa and Peter.

Melissa nodded. "Absolutely. Stiles, John and Danny are working on a back-story and leaving a trail of records, so John can take Peter, Sarah the kids and I to the station and city hall tomorrow to begin the adoption process. Raul said that none of them were born in a hospital so they had no paper trail. Danny is creating one now."

Derek looked to Peter and raised his eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that nephew. I always wanted pups. You know that. Sarah is pretty pleased as well. As for our biological children…well Malia and Lydia are ecstatic for little brothers."

"How are Stiles and Scott with this?" Erica asked.

Melissa and Connor giggled. "Stiles and Juliet are currently fighting over Scott. Juliet refused to let Scott put her down and keeps sticking her tongue out at Stiles whenever Scott isn't looking." Melissa informed them. "They are both quite the drama queens."

Connor took his head out of Melissa's shoulder and turned around in her lap to face the rest of the group, smiling at them and swiping the messy brown curls from his eyes. "Sti is funny." He said with a giggle, and tilting his head to the side in confusion at the perplexed looks his audience was giving him. "My new brother Sti. He funny. Sti and new brother Scotty make Julie smile." The little wolf clarified.

Melissa's grin got wider and she began tickling her adopted son. "Can you speak now handsome?" She teased as Connor giggled and nodded. "You have such a beautiful voice."

"Julie talks enough for me and her." Connor told Melissa. "Julie not here now."

Stiles came running into the room. "Mom? Did little brother utter my name before anyone else's?" He said with a grin.

"Hi Sti!" Connor said excitedly.

"Hi Con!" Stiles said scooping the boy from his mother and walking towards the door. "Sorry Mom, I'm stealing this adorable little wolf. That redheaded menace is stealing the heart of my best bro, I need a new one and Connor just volunteered to be my favorite." He told them while he carried Connor from the room.

"Bye-Bye Mama Mel!" Connor waived over Stiles' shoulder, prompting Melissa to tear up and follow the pair.

"For the amount of crap that is hanging over our heads there is a grotesque amount of joy in this den." Peter quipped watching Melissa and her sons leave.

Almost as soon as he said that a giggling Malia (with laughing Raul on her back) and a smiling Lydia (with a laughing Diego on her back) ran by the study with Sarah chasing after them, carrying the boys' pajamas. "You four get back here! Girls don't rile them up, they need to go to sleep soon!" She sighed stopping at the doors and glaring at Peter. "Peter! Do something with your children! They are hooligans, all four of them,  _especially the ones that are supposed to be adults._ They just got finished tying people's shoelaces together in the kitchen! Who knows what the four of them will do next!"

Peter smiled, standing up, walking towards the door, "Pranks are practical bonding experience, my love. You should let them have their fun." Peter then turned to the room. "Do you want this closed?" He asked.

"Yes." Derek said with a grin.

"Shut up with your grinning you brat." Peter said.

"He didn't say anything." Sarah said slapping her husband.

"His smug little grin said it all." Peter responded closing the door.

Erica sighed and turned to Allison, it was time to get back to pack business. "So, Derek says you want the bite and your parents are coming back to town. Which do you want to address first?"

Allison sighed, "I've been wanting the bite for awhile, now. Both my mates are wolves, most of my family… I mean my pack is some sort of supernatural creature. I just feel this longing to be more connected with all of you, solidify my bond further, be able to run under the moon with you, be able to keep up with my friends and mates. Not to mention the strain my humanity has put on my mate-bond. Scott and Isaac can barely hug me without accidentally harming me. They beat themselves up about it constantly, and I hate that I am not on equal ground in my relationship. Lydia's not a wolf, but she heals faster than I do and only has one mate, I'm a human with two." She said near tears. "It would break us up if the three of us weren't so insanely in love with each other."

"I didn't know it was this bad." Derek said, "You said everything was fine."

"Derek, every time you look at me you grimace. You smell Argent, and your body language screams you don't want to be near me. The only reason I haven't asked before now was because I was afraid if you bit me you would reject me and I would die, strictly because of my biological family." Allison told Derek. "I wanted to give Erica some time to season up as an alpha, and I wanted time to talk it over with you both, but things have changed."

Erica was having a difficult time processing this, Ally had never given any indication of her relationship with her mates or how left out and powerless she felt in the pack. But now that is was just the three of them, Erica could hone in on her bond with the former huntress and sensed it all. She wanted to help her friend. Allison wanted to be a wolf more than anything; she wanted a firm place in the pack and wanted to be an equal with her pack and mates.

"What prompted you to ask Derek about it last night?" Erica asked.

"My cousin Reed texted me from a burner his parents don't know about yesterday. He's the only one in the family that did not disown me, but he's sixteen so he can't be caught being in contact with me. He eavesdropped on a leadership meeting a few nights ago, since Kate went off the rails and I was disowned there is no female heir set to be the next leader. Argent's are a matriarchy; this is a huge problem for them. They don't want to merge with some other hunting families, so they elected my dad leader until another female was born into the family. One of my uncles suggested that since the Hale Pack has gotten so large that someone come here and keep an eye on them and 'the traitor'. Keep the pack in line and see 'if the traitor produces something useful'."

Derek gulped audibly. "They wouldn't. They have no claim!" He growled.

Allison let a tear fall at this. "They will try."

Erica was utterly confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means that they will stay to make sure we are on our best behavior, and keep an eye on Allison in hopes she produces a female child. So they can take the child from us and raise her as a hunter." Derek growled. "And they call us monsters."

Erica shot out of her chair and began pacing the room. "But the odds of having a human and female child are not that high right? Scott and Isaac are wolves!"

"When the mother is human and the father is Bitten? The child is almost always human, as for gender, that's the same odds no matter the species." Derek said.

"But a Bitten mother and father, that gives higher odds for the kid coming out a wolf, or at the very least they'd like Juliet and Connor, which is werewolf enough for the Argents to lose interest in stealing a child." Allison said, "Werewolf genetics are fascinating, I've been reading up on it the past week."

"But even if the kid were human, and a girl, they aren't your parents. They scrubbed your identity. They have no legal reason to take your child from you." Erica growled, the thought of the hypothetical pup being torn from its parents made her skin crawl.

"A DNA test would fix that, and the fact that I live with a suspected cult would give them a fighting chance in court." Allison said with a sigh, "Look, Isaac, Scott and I aren't planning on going off contraceptives anytime soon, so my parents baby-napping any future daughter is not an immediate concern, just something we have to keep in mind. But a bite will give us less to worry about when we are ready for a child and I want to be a wolf. I know I am useful as a human, but I can protect my pack as a wolf and salvage my bond with my mates."

Erica sighed. "Did your cousin mention anything about Argents hunting pups? Do you have any clue why any Argents would hunt down children who have harmed no one?"

"No." Allison sighed, "Raul mentioned that his brother and mother lived outside of Seattle, and Juliet, Connor and their mom lived a few houses away. He says he remembers his mother being threatened and a few weeks later Juliet and Connor's mom are hiding the pups and telling them to run south when the sun came up. If they were close relatives of mine, he would have smelt the family relationship and be wary of me. He isn't. These hunters are either distant relatives or people who used to work for my old family."

Erica looked to Derek. She needed another adult beta, especially if there were new hunters in town. Every alpha needed two lieutenants. It helped stabilized the pack and gave a clear chain of command when the alpha was absent. Derek had Cora as his Second and Malia as his Third. Erica had Rosalyn, but she could not make one of the pups her Third, and have Rose as a Second would only cause more tension for the merging of the packs. Allison was trained to be a hunter and was almost as good as a strategist as Malia or Peter. Giving Allison the bite would not only strengthen the pack and help with the merge, but it would end the grief being human was causing her friend. But she did not want to cause more problems with Derek. Allison's mates were Derek's betas, making Allison part of Derek's pack; Erica didn't want him to feel like she was stealing her mate's beta.

"I want her to be my Second." Erica told him, finally stopping her pacing. "I want to know how much trouble this will cause our relationship."

Derek raised his eyebrow, stood up and walked over to Erica. "I'll send Rosalyn, Isaac and Scott in. Her mates will want to be here when you give her the bite and an adult pack-mate's presence is helpful when changing a human to a werewolf." He said kissing her forehead before heading towards the door. "You, Rose and Allison might want to rest together while she is transitioning, so I'll deal with the logistics of moving everyone back into  _Wolf's Run_ , getting the pups settled and figuring out what the hell the hunters want."

Erica smiled as he left the room and went to sit next to Allison. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." Allison smiled. "Would you mind doing it before they all come in? Scott and Isaac will make it a whole deal, and Rose is nice but I'm not a wolf yet, I can't feel the bond with her, it would just be odd to have a stranger here."

Erica was suddenly frightened. "What if you reject it? We can't lose you."

Allison smiled. "Erica, trust your wolf."

 _She's our Beta. Bite her before the male alpha does. He had his chance._  Her inner self growled.

Suddenly Erica felt her inner wolf take over and she shifted, quickly biting Allison on her right forearm.  _She'll be strong. Our Beta. This is right._

And boy did it feel right. It was a power rush making someone pack who was born a wolf, but changing someone from a human to a wolf it felt like she was soaring. All the exhaustion she felt from the day melted away.

As soon as she bit Ally, Isaac and Scott rushed in the room followed closely by Rosalyn.

"You didn't wait for us!" Scott cried indignantly as he and Isaac inspected their mate's wound.

"I didn't want her to." Alison told them with a smile. "The two of you would have fussed."

"How are you feeling?" Isaac asked.

"I still feel human. But I can hear everything... I thought the change would all happen at once." Alison said with a yawn.

"She's going to be fine guys. I can feel it." Erica assured her friends. "I'm going to pull out the couch she's on into a bed and her, Rose and I will sleep here, make sure our pack-bond settles and by morning her transformation will be complete…aside from the few weeks it takes for a transformation to settle."

The boys nodded in understanding and kissed their mate goodbye. "Take care of her for us Erica. She's our everything." Scott pleaded when he and Isaac began to leave the room.

Erica nodded in understanding, and followed her pack-brothers to the door. "She is not rejecting the bite. She will be okay. She just needs rest."

After Erica shut the doors behind Isaac and Scott she turned to her betas, only to find they were cuddling each other and giggling. Erica couldn't help but smile. Rosalyn radiated happiness and Allison looked completely content.

"You made me a pack-sister Alpha!" Rosalyn said in glee. "Not only did you bring me into an extended pack filled with pack-brothers and pack-sisters, that would have been enough but you went and made me a little pack-sister!" Rosalyn cradled Allison as if she were a gift from the heavens. "A sister to coach in the ways of the wolf, to share in the burden of being an adult beta, to stand at my side as we stand at yours. This is wonderful."

"It does feel pretty great." Allison said sleepily.

Erica instructed Rose to support the sleepy beta while Erica made the pull-out couch into a bed, and retrieved the linens and blankets from the cupboard to make up the bed. Within a few minutes she and her two adult betas were curled up on the bed, cuddling, before drifting off to sleep.

For the first time since she received Alpha power, she felt like an actual alpha. She had her own pack within the Hale Pack, she had her own Second and Third and she had four tiny betas that called her Alpha. She wasn't just the mate of the Hale Alpha anymore; she had people who would follow her no matter her connection to Derek.

* * *

Erica woke slowly the next morning, not at all bothered at the six other heartbeats that were in the bed with her or the giggles. It seemed that during the night, her four puppy-betas had crawled out of their own beds and into the makeshift one she shared with Allison and Rosalyn.

"Alpha." Juliet said poking her side. "Wake up quicker Alpha! We have a big day today! Mama Mel and Daddy are adopting Connor and Me today!"

"And Diego and I are getting adopted by Sarah and Peter." Raul said from the other side of the bed. "Is it okay that we don't call them mom and dad? We had a Mom, and I still remember my Dad…"

Before Erica could say anything Rose cut in. "I'm sure they don't mind Raul. You decide what you are comfortable with calling them, they will care for you no matter what."

Finding the response acceptable, Raul responded to Rosalyn with a "You are comfy Rosie" before becoming silent again.

Erica finally opened her eyes and sat up a bit. Alison, Diego and Connor were piled in the center of the bed and all had looks on their faces that told her they did not intend on moving. Luckily, Erica would not have to wake up them alone, she heard the rest of the pack making their way into the Den from their homes or down the stairs from their bedrooms, soon the majority Reyes-Hale Pack would be on the first floor of the Den.

Erica got out of the bed as quietly as she could and rushed towards the study door before flinging them open as quickly as possible, sending the eavesdropping Stiles and Cora hurdling towards the floor. "Should we call it Reyes-Hale Pack, Hale-Reyes Pack, or simply the Hale Pack and have the sub-packs be Derek's Pack and Erica's Pack?" She mused to her friends on the floor.

"Hale Pack would be simpler, less confusion, more unity of the two sub-packs into one." Derek said rounding the corner, smiling at his sister and brother-in-law on the floor. "You two cannot give Allison a moment to breathe before you plan her puppy pile?"

"Tradition is sacred big brother." Cora muttered helping herself up, while Stiles still sat on the ground pouting at being caught eavesdropping.

"Alpha! You hurt my big brother!" Juliet yelled in horror running towards Stiles and inspecting him for injuries, her concern was enough to rouse Connor and have him running over to Stiles as well.

"I'm fine Julie." Stiles assured her, "Nothing bruised but my ego. You two however…" He said as he pulled her and the newly arrived Connor into his lap. "I specifically remember Mom and Dad tucking the two of you into bed in the room next to theirs last night."

"Needed to be near Ally." Juliet said in explanation.

" _John! The kids are gone! Someone help! Juliet and Connor are missing!"_  Allison heard Melissa yell from the third floor.

"Mama Mel can't hear we are down here?" Juliet asked confused.

"No Sweetie." Cora said. "Her and your Daddy are human. They don't have senses like you and I do."

This alarmed the two youngest pack members who started running towards the panicking voices of Melissa and John yelling, " _We're okay! We're coming!"_  Stiles and Cora followed them making sure they didn't trip over themselves.

Erica saw that Raul and Diego looked slightly panicked. "Peter knows where you are, you aren't in trouble. But you should go to your room and find a change of clothes before your new sisters decide to dress you." this got the eight and ten year old boys moving quickly towards the backdoor and Peter and Sarah's house.

Rosalyn and Allison were already folding away the bed and putting the linens back were they were to begin with. "I'll see you two at breakfast." She said turning towards the stairs to go to the bedroom she shared with Derek before pausing when her mate didn't follow.

"I'm on breakfast duty this morning." He explained, as he made his way toward the kitchen. This made her disappointed and excited at the same time. On one hand she wanted some alone time with her mate, but on the other hand Derek was one of the best cooks in the pack.

Once she got to the bedroom, she plugged her cell-phone in on Derek's charger and proceeded to shower and dress for the day. Once that routine was through she went to the phone and saw she had a voicemail waiting for her from an unknown number. She played the message in interest.

" _Hello Erica. This is Marin Morell. I was wondering if you would be willing to accept me as Emissary to your pack. Braeden has told me that you have rejoined with the Hale Pack, but have betas of your own and she is concerned that she will be an acceptable Emissary to a pack that large. I miss my niece and my hometown greatly, and believe that I was wrong in blaming you and the rest of the Hale's for my brother's death. Alan and my mother loved the Hale Pack, I never felt that kind of caring or devotion to the packs I've served in the past. I hope you will accept me."_

Erica sighed. This just seemed like another situation to add to her 'Problems To Solve' list. This situation had the potential to cause more problems for her with Derek. But if Bray really was worried about fulfilling duties to a pack as large as theirs, then she saw no reason to deny Ms. Morell's request. So she decided that she would need to have a discussion with Derek and Braeden before she gave Marin Morell a response. Having her own druid would be nice, especially sense Ms. Morell had a degree in child psychology and Erica had four young betas that might need counseling in the near future.

Hearing the squeals and laughter of a puppy-pile coming from the living room, Erica stood up and headed downstairs ready to start the day.

* * *

After breaking up Allison's puppy-pile and eating breakfast as a pack, everyone decided to chip in with the clean up as they all discussed their duties for the first half of the day.

"So Sarah, Peter, Melissa, John and the pups are going to get the adoption and custody paperwork started, then they are going to the elementary school to get the pups enrolled for classes." Erica said in clarification, ignoring the groans that Raul and Diego gave at the mention of school. "You have your back-story and the paperwork ready? The pups know what to say?" She asked the group.

"Mama Mel and Daddy have been trying to adopt us for a long time. Our caseworker dropped us off at their house yesterday without explains if we were legally their kids." Juliet said. "Right?"

Melissa nodded. "Good job Julie."

"And Raul and I are Peter's God-sons. We have been living here for a week, and haven't heard a thing from our parents." Diego told Erica. "We are going to the police station to see if there is any news about our parents, since we haven't been able to get a hold of them. They'll look up the fake names and see that they died in a car accident. Then, after Raul and I stop crying, Peter and Sarah will state that they want to adopt us since we are family and they don't want us going into foster care."

Sarah nodded. "Exactly. But I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with making them lie and cry for this to work. They are children." She said in exasperation.

Raul shook his head. "You are not making us do anything. We want to stay with you. This is the way it has to happen. It's the least suspicious way to explain the four of us showing up out of the blue."

All the pups nodded in agreement.

Erica sighed, it had to be done, but no matter how they played this they would look even more like a cult in the town's eyes after this weekend. With the kids showing up and Braeden, the Sheriff and Melissa moving to  _Wolf's Run_ , the Beacon Hills gossips would have endless things to speculate about.

Apparently Melissa and John had already been convinced of the benefits of moving to Wolf's Run before the arrival of the pups, and had begun the process of packing their things. They were a bit worried about what living with a 'cult' would do to John's position as Sheriff, but were willing to risk it for the safety of pack and to be close to their kids. The fact that Juliet and Connor needed to be close to their Alpha only helped to finalize their decision.

"So while that is happening, Cora, Allison, Isaac, Scott and myself will finish up the packing at Mom and Dad's house and help the movers move everything from their house to the brand new house here." Stiles explained. "How you got movers on such short notice amazes me, Derek. Must be nice to be rolling in dough."

Derek snorted and rolled his eyes at Stiles. "Danny, Aiden, Ethan, Boyd and Jackson. I need you to pack up Braeden and Erica's dorm room, bring everything back here and bring the things to either the master bedroom or Braeden and Rosalyn's house. As I understand it, most of Braeden's things are still packed, so half some of the work has been done for you."

The guys rolled their eyes at this, not looking forward to moving duty at all. "And Braeden and Erica can't help move their own shit because?" Jackson asked.

"There is a torture worse that moving in store for me." Braeden answered him, shivering dramatically. "I'm being sent to the mall."

"Bray," Rosalyn said with a grin. "I think it sounds fun. We are in charge of buying a few outfits for me to last me until my things from home arrive, and furniture for our house while Malia, Lydia and Kira are going to buy furniture for the puppies' bedrooms."

"You have never been shopping with Lydia Martin, new girl." Jackson said. "I'd choose moving duty any day."

Most of the people on moving duty nodded in agreement, while Lydia grinned sinisterly, Malia held up three credit cards (two in Derek's name and one in Peter's name) with a grin and Kira giggled. Peter and Derek paled a bit at the cards in Malia's hands; Erica could do nothing but pat her mate's back in comfort.

"Please, try your best not to go over board." Derek pleaded. "Get the basics for the kids and save the decorations and what not for a day when they can go pick out things with their parents."

"Fine." Lydia sighed dramatically. "That is reasonable I suppose."

At that point the dishes were finished and everyone was getting ready to leave on their respective missions. John and Stiles were trying to get the car seats strapped into John's cruiser, some of her pack brothers were fighting over who was the unlucky person that had to drive the van to campus, everyone else was debating on weather to take their own cars or one of the packs' four SUV's on their trips. Lydia had already snagged an SUV for herself Malia and Kira, and Braeden had once again stolen the keys to Erica's truck.

Soon Isaac, Allison and Scott were waiting in their sedan with Cora for Stiles to finish with the car seats, Peter was being chastised by Sarah for beeping the horn of his car impatiently while their two boys laughed, Jackson was behind the wheel of the van and driving it like it was his Porsche down the driveway while Danny prayed for his life, and the Twins and Boyd followed them.

"We still have the painters coming in an hour to paint the pup's bedrooms, and the McCall-Stilinski home." Malia said as she passed Erica and Derek, making her way toward the SUV Lydia sat in. Lydia, like her stepfather, was also honking the horn impatiently. "You have to stay here to show them where to go…Shut up Lydia! You are acting like Dad!" Malia yelled as she opened the door to the vehicle. Lydia stopped honking immediately.

"Rose, are you sure you and Bray don't want your house painted?" Kira asked, ignoring the Martin-Hale sisters that were glaring at her for making them wait. "All the walls are beige if you don't."

"I'm content with beige." Rosalyn said looking towards Erica's truck where Braeden was humming along with the radio, like she had not committed any crime by stealing Erica's keys. "I like colorful furniture, instead of walls, and Bray doesn't like much fuss. We will be fine with beige, and most of the furniture coming from my place in San Francisco."

"How is that getting here?" Kira asked while sticking her tongue out at the Martin-Hale sisters and smiling.

"I'm calling a moving company today, and Braeden's aunt has agreed to supervise the packing and moving." Erica told Kira. "You two should go, Malia and Lydia look like they are going to burst a blood vessel."

The Beta and the Kitsune laughed and made their way to their respective vehicles. Seconds after Kira was in the car, Lydia took off down the driveway, and Bray and Rose followed behind them at a much slower pace.

Stiles, finally finished with the car seats, got into the McCall-Lahey sedan and the vehicle left. And as the Sheriff and Melissa figured out how to strap Connor in correctly, Juliet ran over to where Erica and Derek stood admiring the chaos that was their pack.

"Alpha! Boy-Alpha!" the little girl squealed. "What do you get to do today? Scotty said that everyone had very important tasks today, what are you two doing?"

Derek kneeled down to the little she-wolf's level, "We have very important Alpha business to attend to. One of the things we have to do is look for clues about the people who were hunting you."

Juliet nodded solemnly. "That's very important. The Doctor knows things, Boy-Alpha… does that help you?"

Erica kneeled down as well. "That is very helpful Julie. It gives us a place to start."

The she-wolf grinned and ran back towards the Sheriff's cruiser so Melissa could place her in her car seat. Erica and Derek stood and watched as Peter and John drove their families down the driveway.

"The Doctor knows something?" Erica mused, "Could it be the same doctor that used to give me the creeps and you decided to confirm the existence of wolves to him?"

Derek glared at her. "We already established it wasn't my best decision."

Erica smiled, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That we did. Unfortunately, we cannot leave the property unattended today, so you will have to invite him to our home so we can have a chat with him."

* * *

Christopher Argent sighed as he put down the phone.

He hadn't wanted to go back to Beacon Hills but the family had voted, and in the absence of a matriarch the family became a democracy. The Hale Pack needed to be watched, with the spike in murders of a few months ago in Beacon Hills, and talks of cult activity, Hale had drawn the attention of the FBI. The Argents needed to make sure that no humans would die if the FBI decided to apprehend Hale as a suspected cult leader. A pack of Bitten wolves like the Hale Pack could get very unstable if their only alpha was threatened and Chris hoped he wouldn't have to exterminate them all if Hale was arrested.

They had no clue how large the pack was exactly. All they had was rumors from friends they still had from when they lived in Beacon Hills. They had no clue how many of the people linked with 'Derek Hale's Cult' were wolves and how many were human. Victoria was prepared to fake reconciliation with Allison to determine how large the pack was and how each one of them related to one another, but Chris was reluctant to do that. They had already broken their child beyond repair by disowning her, and already had plans to steal any human daughter she produced, faking reconciliation for intelligence seemed unnecessarily cruel.

"Chris? Who was that on the phone?" Victoria asked while walking into the sitting area of their hotel room.

"Matthew." Chris sighed.

"And why was your brother calling?"

"He was calling around some men that worked for Dad, hoping to give us and our men reinforcements when going to Beacon Hills. Apparently, four of them are already on a hunt… with Henry."

"Katherine's crazy ex-fiancé Henry?" She asked. "I thought he only hunted rare supernatural creatures, and sold them on the black market?"

Chris nodded. Henry Maxwell was a madman. So crazy and brutal even he gave Chris' insane baby sister the creeps. If the person who trapped the entire Hale family in their home and burnt them alive thought you were insane, then you probably should be in prison, locked away from the rest of the world.

"Matt says that they are hunting a Seer, have been since Seattle. The she-wolf that they thought was the Seer and her friend killed themselves before Henry and his crew could determine which woman was the Seer. Henry is convinced that one of the children of the women is a Seer now. They chased the kids to the outskirts of Beacon Hills. I don't think they know about the Hale Pack."

"That man plans to capture a child and sell him or her off to the highest bidder? Wolf-children are innocent until they kill a human, they do not deserve to be hunted." Victoria said in disgust.

"I know. It seems we have to move back sooner than expected. We might have to stop Henry and his men or warn the Hale Pack about them. I cannot have that child's life on my conscience." Chris said.

Victoria nodded and sat down on the sofa next to him. "We leave in the morning."

"Vikki?"

She snorted at the nickname he only used in private. "Yes?"

"Do you regret what we did to Allison? I mean honestly, do you regret that we disowned her and turned our backs on her?" He asked.

"Most of the time, no. She chose to stay with the wolves. She decided to be polyamorous. She turned her back on the way we raised her and her birthright as an Argent matriarch. She tells us she loves us in one breath and in the next tells us she needs us to quit hunting in order for her to have a relationship with us. We really had no other choice." Victoria said, while tears formed. "But sometimes I catch myself missing telling people about my amazing daughter, or cringe when one of the family refer to her as 'The Traitor', or wish that we were able to do what she asked of us and leave hunting behind so we could still be her parents…I don't regret our choice, we have been trained that hunting was more important than anything since birth, that we had to uphold the code at all costs. We are incapable of any other choice. But I wish we could still have our child, know that she is happy, share in her life."

Chris pulled his wife close as he cried with her. He was glad that she felt the same as he did regarding their Allison. They were always hunters first, then parents. They loved their daughter immensely and wanted her to be happy, but were emotionally incapable of choosing their child over hunting. Maybe if they had raised her as a hunter from birth like they were raised, instead of waiting until she was ten to begin her training, Allison would have never gotten involved with wolves. But they waited, they let her make her own decisions, and stopped monitoring her daily movements and cell-phone activity once she went to college so they did not know about her werewolf romance until it was too late. They hated her choice to run with the wolves, but they loved her still.

"She is going to have hate in her eyes when she sees us back in town isn't she?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, but maybe we can make up for not being the parents she needed us to be by protecting her and her pack from Maxwell. You know that Hale took those pups in if Maxwell hasn't found them yet, and Maxwell will be going after the Hale pack to get to the Seer." Chris said. "We will protect her as much as we can... and maybe that will get her to understand that we love her but cannot be her parents."

"And if Hale ends up going to jail, and his pack goes rabid?" Victoria asked.

"Then we kill all the wolves, and get our child back when her mates are dead." Christopher said. "She'll be upset, but she'll understand once she sees that an Alpha-less Bitten Pack get murderous when their Alpha is taken away from them."

Victoria nodded. "Even if that doesn't happen, at least we can watch her from afar… I just want her safe and happy."

"Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

While Derek placed the phone call to Dr. Joseph, asking him if he could stop buy the house today, Erica showed the painters which rooms in which houses needed to be painted. Someone had already taken the liberty of taping a sample of the wanted color of each wall, and the McCall-Stilinski home was next door to the Martin-Hale home so they really didn't need her for much more than unlocking the front doors. When Erica re-entered the Den, her mate was lounging in the living room waiting.

"He is on shift until one. He says he can stop by then." Derek told her as she sat next to him on the sofa. "And you have a missed call from Marin."

Erica sighed. "She wants to join our pack as my Emissary. She says it's to help Braeden, but part of me says she wants a family again."

Derek nodded. "Makes sense. Bray is still an inexperienced Druid, and her father died while he was still training her. Her and Alan are the only family Marin had. She would want to assist her last living relative as best she could and experience a true pack again."

"I'm worried." She admitted.

"About what?"

"Mostly about making you angry, having my own Emissary is the last thing I need to officially be a pack. We'd officially be two packs joined as one. And I know you and others members of the pack were upset when I started to make my own pack."

Derek wrapped his arm around her. "That's because we thought it meant you were leaving us for good. You and I were fighting, and once you bit Rosalyn we were all hurt and confused because we didn't know what it meant. Now, I know and everyone else knows that you want your own betas, but you want us all to be one pack. I think everyone is okay, or working on being okay with it."

"Are you okay with it?"

"No." He said, and Erica stiffened and stood up. "Erica, wait…"

"For what Derek? What is wrong with the alpha in me finally taking what she deserves?" She said glaring down at him, feeling her rage begin to bubble.

"Nothing, it just gets the alpha in me on edge." He growled at her. "Yes, you deserve betas of your own, and an Emissary of your own, and I love that you are finally ready to do all this for yourself but… I'm an alpha too Erica! I'm territorial, I'm stubborn, I'm protective and I hold a grudge."

Erica's rage cooled. "And even though we decided that we wouldn't finish our fight until we find out what is out to get our pack next, we are still mad at each other."

He nodded. "I love you Erica. I'm happy that we have one big joint pack. That we are finally equals, and our packs our happy together. But, even though I'm happy for you it feels wrong… we feel wrong."

"We need to finish the fight…talk as calm as possible…if we leave it unfinished we cant move past it." Erica suggested. "Let me call Marin, and tell her that after she supervises the packing of Rosalyn's apartment she can do the same to her apartment. Then we'll have enough time to talk before the Doc visits."

He nodded. "I'll call the movers and have them add her address in addition to Rosalyn's."

They placed their calls and Erica braced herself for their talk as she told Marin Morell that she would be delighted to let her join the pack as her Emissary. Marin was very thankful, and glad that she would be moving her things after she supervised Rose's move. Braeden had told her about the hunters in town and how the Argent's would arrive soon as well.

"Everything shaping up Erica. Soon things will get difficult for the entire Hale Pack. I need to be there and integrate myself to the pack before things happen, so I can be effective in helping protect our pack." Marin told her.

"Marin, what have you heard?" Erica asked.

"Only whispers. But based on the signs he will be only one of our problems. His name is Henry Maxwell. He's a hunter that hunts the most rare supernatural creatures and sells them or their body parts on the black-market. Rumor is that he is on the hunt for a young Seer last seen in the Beacon Hills area."

Erica gulped. "And Braeden told you…"

"That you found a Seer in the woods yesterday? A five year old female Seer that is of a wolf bloodline? Yes, Braeden told me this morning when we both felt my connection with the Hale Pack begin to form. You had not formally accepted me yet but your mind had, so any oath of silence Braeden had as Derek's Emissary was rendered moot as we are both now in the same pack. No worries, I am bond not to discuss these things outside of pack." Marin said sensing Erica's fear for Juliet's safety in her voice. "I was an idiot rebelling against my mother's wishes when I bound myself to Deucalion. Just because he was murderous and power hungry does not mean I am. I will protect our pack Erica. Which is why I must tell you that young Juliet is not the only one in danger."

Derek had come to stand next to her after his phone call ended and was listening carefully to Marin's words. "What do you mean?" He said.

"I mean this man hunts rare supernatural creatures and sells them off to the highest bidder, dead or alive. Hybrids, Seers, any kind of were besides wolf, Banshees, Kitsune, Kamimas, Fae and more are all on his to capture and kill list. It is my understanding that the Hale Pack has a Seer, two Banshees and a half Kitsune among its ranks. Beacon Hills is filled with rare supernatural's, the nematon attracts them, once this man realizes that, he will be difficult to be rid of without exterminating him."

Derek had to take the phone from Erica's hands before she crushed it in her hands. "Thank you for the information Marin, everyone will exercise extreme caution. We will keep you updated of any changes."

"Derek, one last thing." Marin said. "Does the house you had built for Braeden have a spare room? I would like to stay as close to the pack as possible if you will let me."

"Yes, her house will have a spare room. You are welcome to use that room or any of the Den's guestrooms. Have a safe trip here." He said hanging up the phone.

They both sighed and stared at each other. They had to have their discussion now, and get everything out in the open before the pack came under attack. The problem was, that everything seemed inconsequential to her now that her pack was under attack. She no longer cared about the names that he called her or him not listening to her opinion. She felt remorse for comparing their relationship to his relationship with Kate, but other than that she thought that the original argument did not matter anymore. She vocalized these feelings to him.

"I forgive you for the Kate thing. That hurt but, I know you didn't mean it." He began. "I'm sorry for how quickly that fight escalated as well. Most of the argument I can move past except for one thing… The fact that you were relieved that you weren't carrying our child."

"Just because I'm not ready to be a mother yet, doesn't mean I'll never be ready Derek." Erica told him as calmly as she could, resisting the urge to yell at him for twisting her words from all those weeks ago. "It's just I need time to feel secure in this new life. Perhaps in a few years I'll be ready but for now…can our pack and myself be enough for you?"

Derek took a deep breath. "So you aren't saying no to pups of our own. You are just saying no for now?"

Erica resisted the urge to pat him on the back for finally hearing what she had been saying all this time, but settled for smiling up at him and saying "Yes."

Derek gathered her up into a hug and swung her around the living room with a chuckle. "So your telling me it took us nearly three weeks to resolve that issue?" he said.

"We're both alphas, my love. We want it our way or no way, and were unwilling to listen to what the other was saying. I guess we needed some time apart to hear the other person." Erica said after they settled in on the sofa. "I hope it doesn't happen again, but I know it might."

"Well, if we do fight again, I wont be so bad that we separate completely. I haven't slept right without you. I've missed you."

* * *

They napped on the living room sofa, wrapped in each other's arms for an hour before the security app on Derek's phone woke them. Derek grumbled and opened the app to see that a car was coming down the drive towards the house.

"You left the gate open?" Erica asked.

"Seemed sensible with all the moving trucks and painters vans we'd be having today." He said. "I think that's the Doctors car. But he's a bit early."

They both sighed and made their way to the front door and opened it in time to see Dr. Joseph emerge from his vehicle. Erica growled, remembering Juliet's earlier hint about the Doctor. If this man had anything to do with this Maxwell or his team then she would gladly hurt him.

The Doc approached the door and Derek invited him in, engaging him in small talk. Erica did not have the patience for small talk. "What the hell are you?"

"Erica…" Derek groaned.

"I'm sorry Derek, I have no patience for pleasantries when there are hunters in town and more on the way." Erica told her mate before turning to the doctor. "So what is your deal? Are you working with this Maxwell guy? Or another hunter? What business do you have with my pack?"

The Doctor paled. "Henry Maxwell is in town?"

"Yes, he a friend of yours?" Erica growled, and Derek did the same.

"No, the opposite." Dr. Joseph said. "I belong to a network of people in Beacon Hills that wish to make their presence known to you, they have elected me to educate your pack on our existence. Henry Maxwell will not only want to exterminate your pack, but he will be after most of the town of Beacon Hills."

"Why?" Derek asked, "and why does your group wish to make themselves known?"

"Mr. Hale, The nematon, although it is not at full strength, is a beacon for supernatural creatures of all types. Many of us have lived in this town since it was settled, back when the nematon was at full power and others sense that this is a place that is friendly to the supernatural. We make ourselves known to one another and try to help each other. We are simply more discreet about our connection than wolf packs are. We are not all the same, so we don't feel the same desire that you do to be near to one another."

"Are you saying that the whole town is supernatural? And mostly the type of 'rare- supernatural' that Maxwell hunts?" Erica sighed. "I thought Marin was exaggerating. If that is so, why is the rumor constantly going around that we are in a cult?"

"Ms. Reyes, the town is at most fifty-percent human, and when the humans do not understand something they talk about it. I can assure you that anyone that said a thing against your pack was not supernatural…nearly everyone remembers the benefits of having a wolf-pack in town and were ecstatic when Derek here began rebuilding the Hale Pack. We are not all supernaturally strong or gifted, some of us just have extra senses or odd diets…we need someone to help protect the town, and that was always the Hale Pack. Beacon Hills had been mostly defenseless for a decade until Derek came back."

"So The Council still exists?" Derek asked. "I remember my mother speaking about The Council but I never knew how many people it represented."

"The Council?" Erica asked.

"That's what my group calls themselves. Each species governs itself; the leader of the species sends a representative to each council meeting. Each species has its own way of choosing who represents them in The Council and how they are ruled, but everyone is represented by one elected or appointed councilmember." Dr. Joseph said. "For instance, since my species in town consists of my family and my brothers family, we take turns each year being The Council representative and our wives take turns being species leader."

Erica nodded; barely believing that the town she lived her whole life in was filled with more supernatural creatures than she could comprehend. "And what exactly are you?" She asked the Doctor.

"Mostly human. I just feed off of intense human emotion." Dr. Joseph said.

"You could have just said vampire." Derek supplied.

The Doc rolled his eyes at that term. "Unfortunately, my species name has been used in pop culture to describe blood-vampires. I do not need the blood of others to live, I can reproduce, I do not have supernatural strength or supernatural speed, I am not allergic to sunlight and I live as long a human does."

Erica stilled at the realization. "All those times after my seizures! You were feeding off my emotions! That's why you gave me the creeps!"

The Doctor looked a bit sheepish at this. "My apologies, most of the time the person I feed from does not notice."

"Feeding off someone doesn't harm them does it?" She asked.

"No, it does not" He supplied. "No one in this town harms others to survive, The Council forbids it."

Erica nodded. "Does our pack get a seat on this Council?"

"You are just wolves correct?" The Doctor said.

"No, we have members of other species that call themselves pack." Derek said.

"Well, that poses a complication, if these species are already represented on The Council. If not I suppose they could have their own seat…For now how about you decide who will represent your pack to The Council and that person will report back after the first meeting, and you can decide as a pack weather your non-wolves would like a seat or if they feel like your representative hold their interests in account..." The doctor said walking towards the exit. "I will pass the news of Maxwell being in town, and the other hunters arriving immediately. The entire community will be on the look out, and will notify you when they have information."

"Thank you Dr. Joseph. " Derek said, escorting the doctor out. "Once we decide who to send to The Council, I will pass your information on to them to get the details of the next meeting. Thank you for coming over and answering our questions."

"It was no trouble at all Mr. Hale, Ms. Reyes."

After the Doctor was in the car Derek and Erica turned to each other and said "I think Peter should be our council-representative."

Erica laughed. "I guess we are back to being in-sync aren't we?"

"Looks like it. I'll text Peter the good news."

"He'll be perfect. His wife's a banshee, so he will consider the non-wolves in his decisions, he is cagey enough not to reveal all our secrets and he knows about many species of supernatural so not many people on The Council will have to explain what they are to him." *

"My feelings exactly." Derek said firing off a few text messages and throwing his phone to her. "You keep an eye on the property, I'm going for a run along the perimeter, hopefully I can catch the scent of those hunters. They'll come back at some point to look for the pups."

Erica nodded. "Be safe."

* * *

Derek's perimeter run did not turn up any new clues, so he simply ran in the woods of  _Wolf's Run_  while the painters finished. He was so angry that he nearly chased off the painting crew when he came back from his exercise an hour later, not having the patience for non-pack members when he could not locate the hunters after his pack. Luckily for them his red eyes did not phase the painters, they simply flashed their green eyes right back at him.

"Watch it boy, I'm not afraid of a red glowing eyes. My sister is our Pride's leader and has red glowing eyes. We don't mean any harm." Mr. Cooper said and he, his brother in-law, son and nephew began to put away their supplies, eyes still glowing green.

"Sorry, Mr. Cooper. We are a bit on edge because of a group of hunters in town." Erica said, "Derek is just frustrated that he can't find their scent."

"We know. We heard parts of your conversation with the Vamp." Mr. King, Mr. Cooper's brother-in-law said. "Henry Maxwell is no good for anyone."

Derek nodded to them and his eyes stopped glowing. "Good to know I can at least sniff out other Weres…" he grumbled. "Can't tell if you are cougars, panthers or mountain lions but they always smelt the same to me."

"We're cougars Hale. Sometimes we are called panthers and mountain lions, but we prefer to be called cougars." Jake Cooper said.

"Thank you for the rush paint job." Erica said, not really caring what species they were since she was still getting used to the fact that Bill King^, the boy who filmed her having a seizure once and posted it online, was also a Were and standing in her backyard staring at her. "We want to get our pack together as soon as we can with these new hunters about."

Mr. Cooper nodded, "No problem, Ms. Reyes. We understand. Our pride is easy to keep close, because it just our family, I can only imagine what it like keeping track of a pack the size of yours."

As Mr. Cooper spoke, the Sheriff's cruiser and Sarah's SUV came up the driveway and parked in the garage. The pups all were out of their cars before their parents and rushing over to where she stood next to Derek.

"Alpha!" They all exclaimed in excitement. "We got adopted today!"

Erica smiled and knelt down. "How exciting! Did your new parents teach you what to call me when there is someone that doesn't belong to the pack nearby?"

The pups looked guilty. "We're supposed to call you Erica, because humans don't understand words like 'alpha' and 'pack'." Raul said, "Are we in trouble?"

"Alpha we can't be in trouble!" Juliet insisted. "They are were-kittys, they are not humans!"

Derek and the Cooper-King family snorted at Juliet's 'were-kitty' description.

"Well I suppose I will let that one go, just remember for next time okay? There are dangerous people out there." Erica said scooping up Connor. "Want to go see your room?"

Connor shook his head and pointed to the cars where Peter, Sarah, Melissa and John were unloading some bags from a children's clothing store. "We has to wait."

"Is my bunk bed here yet?" Deigo asked. "Malia is getting me a bunk bed even though I don't have to share with Raul anymore, cuz I really wanted a bunk bed."

"Not yet." Erica told him, "Should be here soon."

Juliet had walked over to Bill King and was staring at him. "Boy-Alpha! This kitty was mean to Alpha when she was human! Can I kick him?" The tiny beta asked.

"Juliet McCall-Stilinski!" Melissa said. "No, you cannot kick anyone!"

Bill King looked horrified, but the rest of his family was highly amused. "What do you expect Billy!" His father said, "no one will forget what a terrible shit you were in high school, Ms. Reyes is within her rights to kick your scrawny ass if she wants to."

Erica simply shrugged, not caring enough about Bill King to warrant 'kick his scrawny ass'.

"Well, we should be off." Mr. Cooper said, signaling his family to get into their cars at seeing a moving van and many cars pull around the driveway. "We'll keep an eye out for those hunters, and we'll see you around town."

They all got in their cars and left soon after giving a waive goodbye to Erica and Derek. There leaving made room for the van filled with her and Braeden's things, the McCall-Stilinski moving truck and the large truck from the furniture store with furniture for the pups, Bray and Rose. Luckily everyone had arrived back from their tasks to help with the madness that unpacking all these vehicles entailed.

Melissa and Sarah took charge, telling the movers and pack members where each box or piece of furniture belonged, they emptied the moving truck and furniture store vehicle first, getting all the non-pack members out as soon as possible.

After the non-pack members were gone, everyone took a break for lunch and began unpacking Braden and Erica's things, or helping the Melissa, John, Rose, Braeden and the pups settle in their new houses. Erica's things were back in their correct places within an hour of being unpacked, but settling the others in their new homes took the rest of the day.

While unpacking, Erica and Derek were able to relay what they found out about Maxwell and the existence of The Council to the rest of the pack, and stress the need for vigilance. Everyone was on edge about Maxwell, and the fact he wanted Juliet but was also very happy that they weren't the only supernaturals in Beacon Hills anymore.

* * *

Once dinnertime rolled around the pack split up again. Derek took all of Erica's betas on a tour of  _Wolf's Run_  (even though Allison already had the tour when the property was first built) and stressed where the entrances to the underground bunker and escape tunnels were placed, taking the time afterward to input the new pack members identification (handprints/voiceprints etc) into the security system so they could gain access to the property and it's underground network of tunnels without Derek and Erica's approval. Peter (having left while everyone was helping the McCall-Stilinski's move in for his first Council meeting) arrived back in time to lead his daughters in cooking the meal, promising to update Erica and Derek during dinner on his meeting. Most of the rest of the pack was either running around the woods or helping Melissa and John finish settling in.

Erica stood in the living room of Braeden and Rosalyn's house watching her normally serene friend run from room to room. The house was only had a few pieces of furniture, as the couple planned on using the things Rose already had to decorate their home.

"I can't believe you let Derek tell aunt Marin we had a spare room!" Bray said, finally pausing. "Do you know how long I got yelled at when I told her Rose and I were purchasing a bedroom set, and planned on sharing the master bedroom? She was under the impression we were living in separate rooms."

"Why is she so upset?" Erica asked. "Is it because Rose is a girl?"

"It's more that I'm sharing a bed with someone when I haven't had a proper Druid wedding yet…She is super traditional. Living together before a bonding ceremony…especially sharing a bed is frowned upon." Bray sighed looking to the stairs that lead to the two empty bedrooms. "At least she will be on a separate floor. She'll get over it once she settles in to living with the pack and get to know Rose…right?"

Erica nodded. "Once she sees how happy you are with Rosalyn around, I'm sure she'll get used to the idea."

Bray seemed to settle at Erica's reassurance. "I suppose we will find out tomorrow morning when she is knocking on the gates. I am glad you are letting her be your Emissary, I was feeling overwhelmed being responsible for a pack as large as ours."

"Do you think this two packs in one thing will work?" Erica asked.

Braeden laughed and hugged her. "Oh, Puppy-Alpha, its already working. Do you see how seamlessly everything went today? The transition? Rose was able to interact with everyone without panic because she felt a bond with them, your puppies have everyone wrapped around their little claws and Allison, a newly bitten beta, was able to leave the Den without experiencing pain of being separated from the pack because her wolf recognized her mates, Stiles and Cora as part of her extended pack. The only people who have any worry about the two packs becoming one are you and your mate. Because you are both…how do I put this delicately...?"

"Mini-Deaton, I believe the term you are looking for is Sour-Alphas…"Malia said from the open door, smiling when Erica growled at the term. "Dinner's ready. Can you howl for everyone Erica? I think Kira talked some of the boys into playing tag in the woods…"

Erica nodded and walked out onto Braeden's back porch before howling. Within moments she observed her pack-brothers and sisters emerge from the woods, running towards the house. Kira, orange eyes blazing, was in the lead grinning from ear to ear as she passed Erica. Derek and her betas were the last to exit the woods, meaning they were the furthest away when she howled. Allison and Rosalyn carried Connor and Juliet on their backs because the two youngest could not shift into wolf form, and there fore were not fast at running. Erica waited for them to near and walked with them to the Den.

"Alpha! Our home is super safe!" Raul said. "Derek showed us all the places we can go to hide from bad people, and places we go if you or our parents tell us we have to leave."

"That is very good." Erica said. "So he went through things to do when it's not safe for you?"

"Yep." Diego said. "Ally and Rosie are old enough to fight, so they don't have to hide when bad people are near. But we are too little to fight so sometimes we have to hide so no one can hurt us."

"Erica," Allison said. "I was thinking that once the pack starts training again, that Diego and Raul be taught with the rest of the betas and either myself or John can teach Julie and Connor to fight. Diego and Raul need to observe how wolves fight and learn their true strength, and Con and Julie don't have wolf powers, so they need to fight like a human."

"It's already covered Ally. John will begin teaching them self defense while we all train tomorrow. Raul and Diego will train with us adult wolves." Erica said. Allison's response was a nod. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Allison said. Erica sensed the lie, but before she could pry Rose spoke.

"She's overly tired. Being away from the majority of the pack all day took its toll. She needs to eat and rest."

"Rosie, don't tattle." Connor said, poking Rosalyn.

Allison smiled. "She is only looking out for my wellbeing Connor. But thank you for defending me handsome."

Connor blushed and hid his face in Rosalyn's neck. Everyone laughed at the display as they finally walked into the Den.

The Den was a flurry of activity. Everyone was setting places at the table, making sure there were enough places for all, and putting food out. Derek and Erica simply stood at the back door holding hands and watched the commotion going on in the kitchen and dining room.

She and Derek typically sat at opposite ends of the table, so she wanted to be near him as much as possible before splitting up for the meal and pack meeting.

"Are the gates locked?" Derek asked.

She nodded. "And ash-ed. They didn't give you any trouble did they? No chants of 'you're not my alpha. So I don't have to listen'?"

"No. Did my betas give you any trouble?"

"No more than they give you."

Derek grinned at that. "I'm starting to think that the one thing we don't have to worry about is our packs fitting together as one."

"No, we just have to worry about two groups of homicidal hunters converging on our town." Erica said before stopping herself. "Oh my god! I'm starting to sound like you _! I am a SourWolf_!"

All the adults in the pack laughed at her statement. Soon they all steeled down and took their seats. All except Juliet, who was staring at the wall.

"She's fine." Raul informed the concerned pack. "Usually she has visions when she sleeps, but sometimes it happens when she is awake."

Juliet soon came out of it and skipped to her seat at the table. Everyone sighed in relief and began fixing plates for themselves.

After a few minutes Erica heard Juliet ask a question. If she hadn't been sitting so close to Melissa and Juile, Erica wouldn't have heard over the loud conversations happening around the table. Juliet was whispering so quietly that Erica doubted that anyone but herself and Melissa heard. "Mama Mel? What is the FBI?"

"You know how your Daddy works for the Sheriff's Department? The FBI is sort of like that, but they fight crime in the entire country, not just here in Beacon County." Melissa answered in an equally hushed tone. "Why do you ask baby?"

"Because the FBI-people is coming." The little beta whispered back. "Do you know anyone in the FBI Mama Mel?"

Melissa's happy demeanor vanished and her body visibly tensed at the question. "Yes I do. He is Scott's biological Dad. He wasn't very nice to me or your brother, and then he left us."

Melissa had said these words louder, so everyone with supernatural hearing had heard them. Scott and Stiles eyes flashed at the mention of Scott's father and the Sheriff, who sat next to Mel and heard her speak asked Julie the next question. "What made you ask about the FBI and Scott's dad Julie?"

"Because in my vision, a man said ' _My name is Agent McCall. I work for the FBI. I would like to ask you a few questions…'_ is he another bad man?" Juliet asked concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> * The Council, will probably not be seen, so you wont have to remember names or species etc. Peter will be the Packs rep to The Council so any information they have to give will mostly be given through him.
> 
> ^ A character named Bill is mentioned in chapter 3 of Teen She-Wolf. He was one of the kids that picked on Erica the most in High School. The only time he is mentioned by name is in chapter 3. His last name was never given. I only brought him in as a were-cat because I wanted to highlight Erica's growth from a teenaged girl with no friends being bullied incessantly, to an alpha werewolf who is no longer afraid of a boy that used to be her biggest bully.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

"Because in my vision, a man said ' _My name is Agent McCall. I work for the FBI. I would like to ask you a few questions…'_ is he another bad man?"

Erica could feel everyone's eyes darting from her to Derek and back again. Her and Derek were staring at each other, having no clue on how to respond to the question.

Luckily for the alpha-pair, Scott broke the silence. "So my dad is coming back to town, Allison's ex-parents are coming to town… fantastic! Anyone else want to invite their problem causing relatives to Beacon Hills? What the hell could he possibly want?" He said slamming his fist on the table.

"Whatever it is, we will all get through this together." Allison told him, taking his right hand in hers as Isaac took his left hand. "We are a pack, the only family that truly matters anymore. My ex-parents and your dad? They don't matter, especially if they try to cause trouble for our real family."

This seemed to calm Scott and the rest of the table.

"We can't know what will happen, we just have to be prepared." Derek said and his eyes focused on the pups. "You four need to know that you don't have to talk to anyone you don't want to talk to; even if they are a police officer or FBI agent. You also need to know that they shouldn't talk to you without your parents permission, its illegal."

The pups nodded, looking serious, "Yes Alpha." They said.

"Also, its important to be aware who is around." Erica said to the pups. "You guys never really lived around humans I take it…and we may have some unwanted visitors to the Den if Agent McCall and the Argents are coming back to town. I need you to be super careful about saying things like 'alpha', 'pack' and 'human' when non-pack members are around."

"Yes Alpha." They responded.

Erica sighed, "Guys just call us Derek and Erica. I promise we wont see it as disrespectful; everyone calls us by our first names. It will be easier for you not to use the word 'alpha' around strangers if you are already calling us by our names."

"Okay, Erica…"Raul said hesitantly. "We'll do our best."

"That's all anyone asks of you, love." Sarah said kissing the boy on the forehead before turning back to the meal.

Slowly everyone began eating again and the tense energy faded from the room. The conversation had yet to start up again, but mostly because everyone was at a loss of what to say.

* * *

The meal finished quickly without the chatter and soon everyone was cleaning up or outside playing with the pups.

"You know what that yard could use? Playground equipment." Lydia said thoughtfully as she and Erica waited to begin drying the pots and pans. "A jungle gym, a slide, some monkey bars, a swing set; the works!"

"I'm not paying for it Lydia." Derek grumbled, handing her a newly clean pot.

Lydia glared at him, "Oh Dearest step-father of mine! You should purchase some playground equipment for my little brothers and their young pack-mates."

Peter laughed as he brought dirty dishes in from the dining room.

"Not fair!" Stiles said, glaring at Lydia. "Dad! Lydia is trying to buy the puppies' affection! Trying to steal Merida and Con-Man away with all that Hale money!"

John sighed from his place at the dishwasher machine, with his son. "For the last time Stiles, we are not giving her the middle name Merida."

"Well, Mom said she would think about it."

"She probably said it so you'd stop talking." Lydia said glaring back at Stiles.

"I'm watching you Martin." Stiles said, "I know your game, you wont make my Merida and Con-Man your little minions of evil."

Erica snorted, the fake and overly dramatic competition Stiles and Lydia shared was beyond hysterical. Apparently in high school they tied for valedictorian, and had been out to prove which of them was superior ever sense.

Erica decided to say something because their stare off wasn't getting anything accomplished. So she commented on the awesome nickname Stiles had given his new sister. "Stiles you are so right! If Merida was a real girl, not an animated princess she'd look just like Juliet!"

"Finally someone with some sense!" Stiles said, "Maybe you could order your newest beta to teach Julie archery?"

Erica shook her head, and narrowed her eyes. "That's unethical Stiles. If Allison wants to she can, I wont order her to do something."

Allison laughed, walking in from outside. "I'll teach her."

Stiles picked up Allison and kissed her square on the mouth. "You are my favorite sister-in-law!"

"She's your only sister-in-law." Isaac said, as he and Peter brought in the last of the dirty dishes.

"Sh, Isaac. She doesn't know that." Stiles stage whispered.

"Yes, I do." Allison said rolling her eyes. "Now get those dishes done, we're watching a movie tonight since we didn't last night."

As they continued with the chore of dishes, Malia came in looking for antiseptic to clean some healing claw marks on her arms.

"You okay Lia?" Derek asked his cousin when she came back from the hall bathroom with a bottle of antiseptic and a towel.

"Yep. I was just play-fighting with my new little brothers. They fight dirty." She said with pride in her voice and a large smile on her face. "They can defend themselves if they need to."

"Well, that's good news. Let's hope they never have to." Erica said.

Malia nodded and hoisted herself to sit on the counter, and began to clean up her arms. "So Dad," She said, not looking up from her work, "Are you ever going to tell us about this council meeting?"

Peter nodded and looked toward Derek and Erica. "There really isn't that much to report. I introduced myself, they introduced themselves, and the Doc told them about his conversation with you. I must say there were really not many surprises on who is supernatural in this town. Except one or two. Did you know that the Greenberg* Family is one of the Fae families in town? "

Everyone looked as surprised as Peter was. Erica was unfamiliar with the Greenberg family, but knew their youngest child was in the same high school class as Stiles, Scott, Lydia and Jackson.

"So no problems?" Derek asked.

"Not really. The representative of the Druid community seemed a bit aggressive to me. But those Druids always seem to have their own agenda…no offense Mini-Deaton." Peter said.

Braeden, who had just finished a call to her aunt, simply shrugged. "None taken. Who was it that you spoke with?" Braeden asked.

"Isis Lane. Why?"

"Well, that explains it. Her mother's was a Wiccan, but her father was a Shaman, so try as she might to be completely Wiccan, Isis is of a Shaman bloodline. Cursed." Braeden said looking down at in sadness. "When I was thirteen I got the choice to train as an Emissary or chose to take another Druidic path. Shamans do not get to choose their path…they have to gather information in case whomever they are bound to asks something of them. They live in constant fear of being hunted down by the very people they are bound to assist."

"Excuse me, but would some one mind telling me the differences in Druids? I'm a bit lost." Lydia asked. "I thought that there were two groups of Druid. Emissary and a Darach."

"No, there are many different kinds…" Braeden said. "I guess I could clarify some terminology… Druid is our species, and is a term encompasses all the different types of my people. We devote ourselves to knowledge. We all tend to be a self-serving and secretive people, and most of us will not provide information unless asked a direct question, especially if we have no loyalty to you. We have a genetic ability to tap into the unlocked potential of the human brain and perform magic. The Darach are the Dark Druid, the ones who use their power for evil, or vengeance. The Emissary is a Druid bound to assist wolf packs, The Wicca are Druids that serve nature and family only, The Shaman is a Druid whose ancestors were enslaved and were bound by blood against their will to serve those that hunt supernatural creatures. Their curse is so strong that it lasts for generations. It can only be undone if the head of the Hunter family dissolves the bond in a ritual. The problem is that most hunting families do not realize that their ancestors forced the binding; they truly think that these people want to help them with their hunts, that they are their friends."

The room was silent, as everyone continued with their tasks, and digested what Braeden had told them.

Peter broke the silence. "Braeden, do you happen to know what family Isis' family is bound to serve?"

"A family named Wallace. Aunt Marin used to date Keene, Isis' brother, he used to say that there is hope the curse will break soon because the last Wallace moved away years ago when she married. If she didn't renew the curse with her husband, they would be free when she died because her children would not be Wallaces."

"Shit." Derek said. "Peter, tell me exactly what she wanted to know and how you responded."

"She was really insistent on knowing who of the pack is wolf, who is human and who is something else. I didn't tell her anything, I simply said that I would be happy to tell them everything once I was given a list of everyone in town that was supernatural." Peter said. "What's wrong?"

Allison sighed. "Thirty years ago this fall, Victoria Wallace of Beacon Hills was married to Christopher Argent. The Lane family is bound to my mother. I thought her friendship with Isis' older sister seemed odd. My mom said they were the best of friends growing up and Annie seemed angry at my mom for moving back to Beacon Hills."

Everyone in the room gasped.

Erica groaned. "So you are telling me, that the Argents are getting information about the pack from a druid that is on The Council."

"Its likely that we are safe." Braeden said in a reassuring tone. "The Lane's resent the binding. They wont exactly be forthcoming with information, probably only giving information to Victoria if she asks for it. I don't think the Argents even know they are Druids, so they probably wont ask supernatural questions. They would just want to know who is associated with Derek."

The room let out a sigh.

"Regardless," Derek said, "Be careful about what you say in meetings about our pack. And if someone gives you trouble tell them that your Alpha ordered you not to because of a Shaman."

Peter nodded. "Done and Done, my dearest nephew."

As Erica dried the last of the dishes and everyone finished the chore of after dinner clean up, she called the pack members that were still running around outside in.

"That's it!" She exclaimed. "We are watching that movie! This day has been too long and I need a laugh."

Everyone seemed to agree, as they made their way to the theater room.

* * *

Juliet's Mommy had taught her since the day she could understand words about the family gift. The importance of keeping it a secret from people that weren't family, and how to use it appropriately once she got it.

Mommy had known Juliet would inherit the gift when she died and it would happen at a very young age. Connor would get upset when he overheard their Mommy telling Juliet about their new Mommy, Daddy and brothers. It upset Juliet too, because she loved her Mommy very, very much. Connor was a baby, he didn't understand that there was nothing they could do about their future but prepare for it. The future was coming no matter what; it was not something that could be stopped. The Gift gave you clues about the future to help you prepare for the future.

Her Mommy taught her about the importance of telling the difference between dreams, memories, visions and real life. It was very confusing to understand when she didn't have the family gift. The Gift would never show you something that could be prevented or changed; a vision was typically a tiny snapshot of time and was seen in black and white. Dreams were…smoky…hard for the mind to hang onto, and most of the time you would only remember the feelings the dream caused when you woke. Some people without the Gift could remember dreams when they woke, but Juliet could not, her mind was too busy holding onto visions, memories and engaging in real life to remember her dreams. Real life was loud and fun and had the people you loved in it, she loved real life the best.

Memories were the most confusing for her; they were the worst, her least favorite thing. She had no trouble telling a vision from real life but memories were different. Memories could be visions, or dreams but were mostly images in your mind of things that happened in real life. She had a hard time telling when a vision was still a vision and sometimes she slipped up.

When Alpha Erica took them in, Juliet experienced with a vengeance how hard telling visions from memories was. It was one of the most difficult days she lived through so far. Ever since her Mommy had died she had flashes of her new pack. She never told Connor, or Diego, or Raul about it because she new that surprises were the best part of life for people without the family gift. She simply told them while they were running from the bad men that they would be happy and safe one day. The Hale Pack was going to be their new home she saw it before they ran south. She saw Rosie save them first and then a flood of happy images followed. She saw how happy her brother, Diego, and Raul would be, she knew all the names of her new pack and already loved them before she had met them. But she knew they were visions until the first time she saw Erica.

Now that she had met Erica, were all her visions memories? No it seemed not, Erica didn't recognize them, Derek didn't see Raul and Diego as his cousins yet, Malia didn't see Raul and Diego as her brothers and her big brother Scotty saw nothing but injured pups when looking at herself and Connor. Juliet wanted to cry but didn't. She was the only one that knew. They were visions, they had not happened yet.

They had been with the pack for a bit more than a whole day and she had slipped up lots; calling Scotty her brother before he was her brother, calling Aunt Sarah her aunt within minutes of meeting her, staring at Daddy and Mama Mel like the lost puppy she was after Alpha Erica bit her and more… She was thankful her pack was nice and didn't want to give her away because of her gift, they thought it was cute and supported her when she messed up and was mad at herself.

She had been very upset after what happened at dinner, she got her first vision since being with the pack, so she knew it was important to tell an adult about, and she was glad she could speak about it because it confused her. The man looked like her brother Scotty, had a shiny badge like Daddy, and had a last name the same as one of her new last names; also, he kind of scared her. So she asked Mama Mel about him and it upset everyone. She had ruined dinner, after her vision her brothers and Daddy were angry, her Mama was teary, and everyone else was worried.

Juliet was quiet after dinner as they played and during the movie about talking blocks^. The pack had started laughing again and was no longer tense but she was scared to open her mouth and laugh with them in fear she would ruin it again. She refused to let go of her Daddy during the whole movie, afraid that he and Mama Mel didn't want her anymore because she made her new pack and family sad earlier.

That night at bedtime, after Mama Mel and Daddy tucked her into bed in her pretty new room, Juliet had her first nightmare.

She woke of screaming for Mama Mel and Daddy to save her, to come back, not to leave her with the bad people, that she would be better. She clung to them when they came rushing into the room and refused to let them go.

"Please, I'll be better. I'll stop having visions that upset the pack, please don't give me away to the bad hunter man. I'll be good." She begged, shaking.

"Julie, we aren't going to give you up because of your visions…" Daddy said. "Yes, it upset us to know that Agent McCall is coming back, but that's because of him, it has nothing to do with you."

"I'm glad you saw him coming." Mama Mel said. "It gives us all time to prepare. It would have he could have hurt our feeling worse if he surprised us."

"He was mean to Mama and Scotty**? And you are mad because he might hurt their feelings again and be coming to hurt our pack?" Julie asked, trying to clarify the situation. "You aren't mad at me?"

"No one is mad at you sweetie." Mama Mel told her. "Is this why you were so quiet tonight? You thought everyone was mad at you?"

Juliet nodded.

Daddy sighed at this. "I should have seen that. Stiles was just like you when he was little; hyperactive, independent and happy. But when something was wrong he blamed himself and got very quiet and very clingy." Daddy said as he tried to loosen the grip Juliet had on them.

It took an hour of reassuring for Juliet to believe that it was just a scary dream, and no one was giving her up; everyone loved her especially her Mama Mel and Daddy.

She learned that nightmares were made from your fears and worries, and they were scarier than anything she had ever seen in a dream, vision or real life. It was then Juliet decided she'd rather be confused on memories any day…nightmares were her new least favorite thing in the world.

* * *

Erica shot up out of bed, sensing that something was wrong.

The trouble was she had been fast asleep, and had no clue what had woke her. She looked next to her and saw that Derek was fine; he was snoring in bed next to her. It wasn't Derek's panic that woke her, and since he was not awake it wasn't one of his betas in distress.

She took a deep breath and searched her connections with her betas for the answer when she found what woke her. An overwhelming terror was coming from her link with Juliet. Her tiny beta was in distress and the alpha in her felt the need to protect the beta.

Erica leaped out of the bed and headed to the door.

"Erica?" Derek mumbled, noticing her absence next to him and waking up. "Why are you leaving the bedroom naked?"

Erica looked down at herself and fought the urge to blush. After the pack movie and before going to bed, she and Derek had spent a significant amount of time  _reuniting_  with each other. They were both still nude. Apparently her panicking beta was enough to make her forget her nudity.

Erica went towards the bathroom door where her robe hung. "Juliet is frightened, she needs help." She stated explaining her haste to leave the room.

"I feel her panic babe, but kids have bad dreams all the time." Derek said, sitting up in bed. " I know you feel the urge to help, but she's you beta not your child. Let her parents parent her."

Erica stilled. He did have a point.  _Damn him._  "What if it's a vision? What if she needs me?" Erica said, trying to find a good reason for her to run outside, break into the McCall-Stilinski house and comfort the tiny Seer.

"Then she'll will tell Melissa and John and they will tell us in the morning." He said raising his damned eyebrow at her. "If she needs her alpha, they'll call you. But, she's a traumatized kid, its most likely a nightmare. Nightmares are a parents job."

Erica sighed and took off her robe, throwing it violently to the floor in an impressively childish gesture. "I hate it when you are reasonable!" She hissed climbing back into bed and his arms before sighing again "This sucks, she's in pain and I can't help."

"Welcome to having your own pack, my love." He muttered, laying back down and closing his eyes. "There are many problems we can't solve, and we have to trust that mates, family members and pack siblings can handle it."

"You are loving this, you asshole." She growled. "My anxiety for Juliet is amusing to you!"

Derek let out a laugh. "Of course it is amusing. How many times have you woken up to find me pacing, trying to keep myself from leaving the room to comfort a pack member who had had a nightmare and taunted me for being a big softie? Revenge is so very sweet, sweetheart."

"I hate you." Erica muttered, cuddling up to him and pulling the covers tight around her.

"I love you too, go back to sleep."

* * *

It seemed like only minutes from the time she had fallen back asleep to the time that Cora came busting into her room demanding that she and Derek 'get their asses up'.

"Marin should be here in fifteen minutes and you two idiots slept through breakfast." Cora said, using a stick to poke her and Derek awake. "There is no way you are weaseling your way out of moving duty."

"Cora! Go away!" Derek yelled. "Where the hell did you get that thing?"

"We are surrounded by woods Derek. Use your brain for once big brother." Cora yelled back just as loud, focusing her poking more towards Derek now.

Fantastic, looks like she was about to witness another timeless Hale-Sibling fight. "I'm not getting out of this bed until you leave." Erica said, burrowing herself further under the covers.

"Oh please, I've seen it all before." Cora said, continuing with the poking. Erica simply ignored it; she was far too tired to deal with Hale dramatics.

"Go away Cora."

"Bite me Derek."

Derek, taking his sister's remark to heart, leapt from the bed and lunged in the direction that Cora was in. Erica sat up and watched as her mate and his sister wrestled on her bedroom floor like they were children.

"Holy Crap! Naked Alphas! Hide the children!" Stiles yelled as he walked passed the room and saw what was happening.

"Stiles!" Erica yelled. "Hand me my robe please?"

Stiles eyed the fighting Hale siblings warily then looked at the place she had thrown her robe last night. "Nope, sorry Puppy. You are so on you own in this." He said, making his way downstairs.

Erica sighed and smiled fondly at the scene in front of her, before running as fast as she could to the closet to change. It was so typical for a Sunday morning at  _Wolf's Run_.

* * *

Erica had anticipated that moving Marin and Rosalyn into their home would take the entire morning, but with the whole pack helping it only took an hour. Leaving plenty of time before lunch for everyone to pitch in putting together the play ground equipment that had been miraculously been ordered overnight.

Lydia looked far too pleased with herself as she ordered her pack brothers and sisters about, assigning everyone a piece of playground equipment to assemble and put into place in the little clearing between the pool house and the garage. Lydia had declared that the space was not living up to its potential, and that Stiles, Malia and Jackson could use the parking spaces on the other side of the garage instead of parking in a space not designated for parking.

Erica and Derek were assigned to swing set duty with Peter and Sarah. Derek and Peter were both frantically looking through their banking info on their phones, checking to see if Lydia had used their cards to purchase the equipment. The price kind of worried Erica as well, because by the looks of things Lydia bought everything a kid could possibly want to play on. They would be out here for days putting this stuff together safely.

"Where did she get the money?" Derek asked. "It wasn't from the pack accounts."

"Then I imagine she used her father's credit card." Sarah said with a smile. "The man was an absentee father when Lydia was growing up. But now that he is remarried he feels guilty. All Lydia has to do is call and ask and he'd buy her anything she wants."

Peter and Derek sighed in relief. "Sarah, I love you, but your daughter has a bit of a shopping problem." Peter said.

Sarah shrugged. "The funny thing is she rarely shops for herself. She loves buying things for others and making them happy the most. I can't find it in my heart to discourage making others happy."

"Mom, I promise this is the last thing I buy the pups!" Lydia said, catching the last part of the conversation. "I promise I'll stop spoiling them, I just got a little too excited."

"It's okay Lydi." Sarah said, "Go apologies to Mel and John though? I had no problem with you buying things for Raul and Diego, but you may have overstepped with Julie and Connor."

Lydia nodded and walked over to the where John and Scott were assembling a seesaw while Melissa read the directions.

After Lydia left, Erica spotted Marin put her hand in the air and made all the parts of the monkey bars fly into place and secure themselves to the ground.

"Hey! No magic!" Jackson yelled when he saw.

"I'm sorry did you want to spend the day putting this together? Or did you want me to say a few incantations so we can have an early lunch and begin training?" Marin asked dryly.

At her suggestion, everyone stepped back and walked a safe distance from the parts of the unfinished playground. Marin gathered all the instructions in her hands and said her incantations. Within ten minutes the playground looked like it belonged in a community park, not in their backyard.

The pups laughed and started to test the equipment, most of the pack joined them in their fun.

"Good thing you made the whole playground werewolf proof huh Aunt Marin?" Braden asked.

"I did that because I didn't want the children to have to restrict their abilities while playing." Marin said watching the adults make use of the new playground as much as the children were. "I did not anticipate the adults making use of this."

Erica laughed, while grabbing Braeden and Marin's hands and dragging them over towards the larger slide. "Welcome to the Hale Pack, Marin. Now lets go play!"

* * *

The pack ended up skipping an official training session that afternoon.

While lunch was being prepared a few mini-training sessions took place for the pups; John and Marin started Self Defense 101 with Juliet and Connor whileDerek and Peter sparred with Raul and Diego. But after the meal was eaten training was forgotten. Everyone else opted to either play on the new playground or prepare for their busy weeks.

Erica, as an alpha, should have been annoyed at the easy dismissal of training, but seeing her pack happy and laughing was more important to her at the moment. So she simply demanded her mate push her on the swings while she listened to her pack play.

Marin was next to her on the swings and was studying the alpha-pair closely. "I like this feeling." Marin said, sounding serene. "Having a pack is nice."

"It is." Derek said. "Can I stop pushing you now?" he asked Erica.

"Why do you have somewhere to be?" She asked him.

Derek held up his phone so she could see what he saw. The security app had popped up and was showing the feed of the front gate. Two SUVs full of people were sitting at the end of the driveway. The man in the lead SUV was looking at the camera.

"Derek? Are they the…?" Erica asked, and she felt Marin look at the app over her shoulder.

"Should I hide the pups in my house or should I show them to the bunker?" Marin asked in worry. "They shouldn't see the pups. These people shoot first."

"The Stilinski house should be fine. Ward it against intruders in case they decide to snoop." Derek told the druid.

"Derek…" Erica said the pit in her stomach growing.

Her mate simply howled, which caused the whole pack to spring into action. The pups ran for the McCall-Stilinski house, and everyone else began assembling in front of herself and Derek awaiting orders.

_Argents._

Erica wanted to bang her head against a wall. They couldn't have  _one day_ as a pack where everything was uneventful and peaceful?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> * I had to throw in Greenberg, I could not help myself.
> 
> ^Juliet refers to a talking blocks movie… they watched "The Lego Movie" as a pack film because the kids were with them.
> 
> ** McCall was a drunk in canon, I'm making so he was verbally abusive, and Melissa worked up the courage to kick him out after the whole 'throw Scott down the stairs thing' (yeah, I'm keeping that event in here, only Scott remembers it happening.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?
> 
>  
> 
> So if the story were divided into two Acts, this would mark the end of Act One.
> 
> Timeline Help: Reminder that chapter one began on a Thursday, this chapter takes us from that Sunday, all the way to the next Thursday. Making the events of Act One take place over one week.

Once the pack was gathered everyone started talking at once.

"We aren't letting them in are we?" Scott asked.

"We can't just ignore them, they might turn out to be allies against this Maxwell guy." Cora said.

"They are hunters! They hate what we are, they would not hesitate shooting any of us!" Peter growled.

"If we let them in, we can't give them a clue about who is a wolf or not, that's one of the questions Isis wanted to know…" Braeden said.

"They only know about Scott and Isaac being Bitten. Everyone else is just under suspicion…" Allison added.

"Allison is so new, is she loses control of her shift while they are here, they might start shooting." Isaac said worriedly.

"Why should we let them in, that gate will hold up against them! They can't break in." Jackson stated.

"We haven't restocked our supplies in a few weeks. We aren't prepared for a lockdown or a siege." Malia told the group. "We have to let them in."

"It's stupidity to let them in!" Danny said.

"It's definitely not smart to leave them out there either." Lydia added. "We automatically make them our enemies."

"You want to be allies with those people? Do you not remember Gerard trying to exterminate us this time last year? How Victoria looked regretful when it was decided we hadn't done anything wrong and they couldn't kill us because it was against their code?" Stiles asked. "If you ask me they can rot out there for all I care."

After that it was hard to tell who was saying what, even with supernatural hearing. They all were yelling their opinions as loud as they could. She supposed this is why packs had Alphas, Elders, Second and Thirds; because everyone in this pack (werewolf or not) was so stubborn and opinionated, they would never reach a consensus and get things done if there wasn't some sort of hierarchy. Derek and Erica looked at each other, silently trying to decide who was going to shut their panicking pack up.

Erica blinked first, losing the staring contest…

"EVERYONE SHUT IT!" She yelled. Her mate's reaction was a slight smile, a raised eyebrow and lust… _Really Derek? My screaming at our pack turns you on? AT A TIME LIKE THIS!_ He was beyond ridiculous.

The pack however had a different reaction, they all swiftly stopped talking over each other and muttered "Yes, Alpha" before quieting.

Now that everyone wasn't thinking out loud she could finally hear herself think. She nodded to Derek, letting him go first.

"We have to let them in, but we have to be smart about it." He said in a thoughtful tone. "This is our home; we can control the situation. We knew they would come. John and Melissa, please go in your home with the pups. We don't need them thinking that the two of you are wolves, they might show up when you are at work and attack. If the pups hear our howls and say they have to run, get them to the bunker ASAP. "

John and Melissa nodded and walked towards their home. Erica watched them retreat and gave the next order "We need to keep them on the driveway. Core, can you place three or four cars blocking the end of the driveway? We will all stand in front of them. That way if they start shooting we will have cover." Cora nodded and dragged her mate and the Twins to follow her to the garage. "Marin, Bray is there a spell that will protect us from their guns?"

"This property is warded with every protection ward my brother and I could perform. As long as you are a member of the Hale Pack, no man-made weapon can be used against you on this land." Marin said. Erica had forgotten that Marin and Alan Deaton helped Derek plan the security measures of the property and altered the memories of the builders so they did not remember a thing about the underground network of tunnels they built.

Their home was safe; the Argents could not hurt them here with their hunting equipment. This meeting was about a strategy moving forward. They wanted to be friendly with the Argents, without revealing all their secrets to them (and hopefully getting the Argents to reveal a few of their secrets to the pack).

"I can't be standing next to you when we meet them. They can't know the pack has two alphas." Erica said. "It would be foolish to reveal our pack hierarchy in any way, if they turn on us they will know who to kill first, we have to confuse them as much as possible so they are unsure on our hierarchy."

Derek looked upset that she wouldn't be by his side but nodded. "I know, you and Rose need to be holding onto Allison, making sure she doesn't shift. Cora and Malia will flank you and Marin, Bray, Sarah, Kira and Lydia will be behind you…. I need all the rest of you standing in front of them and directly behind me."

All the women started protesting this arrangement, claiming that they could defend themselves and didn't need their pack brothers protecting them. Except for Erica and Allison.

"Its what will work the best," Allison said, "Victoria will be too focused on the chauvinistic display to realize that you all are standing in front of the highest ranking members of the pack aside from Derek, and the non-wolf pack members."

Erica nodded in agreement and everyone else thought about it for a moment. The strategy was brilliant. If they stood like this the Argents would think that one of the male pack members were Derek's Second and Third, and they would not suspect another Alpha if they made it look like they were all comforting a distraught Allison upon seeing her old family. "She's right, they'll never guess our structure if we present ourselves like this and make it look like we are comforting Ally, instead of keeping her from shifting."

Everyone reluctantly agreed to the reasoning.

"Okay," Erica sighed. "Let's not keep our guests waiting any longer."

With that everyone ran towards the front of the den to get into position.

Erica looked up at Derek and grabbed his hand. "Ready?"

"I wish you could be next to me. I'm not looking forward to facing these people alone." He said squeezing her hand.

"You are not alone. We are right behind you. We'll be observing each one of the Argent hunters while you chat up Chris making sure nothing fishy is happening, and I'll be keeping our pack in check. All you have to do is get them away from our home as quickly as possible without tipping our hand." She told him. "Hey, I'd rather be right next to you too. But the last thing they need to know is that you have a mate. Especially right now when we don't know if they are working with Maxwell or not."

"You are right." He sighed and nodded. "Let's do this."

They began walking hand-in-hand towards the front of the house. Derek let go of her hand when the reached the pack (that had lined up already) and pushed the button on his phone that unlocked the front gate.

Erica sighed and took her place between Allison and Cora, watching as the two vehicles rolled down the drive.

She looked behind her pack, making sure that Cora had placed their own vehicles close enough so if the hunters started shooting they could get behind them quickly with minimal damage. She did. They would be fine.

As the vehicles got closer her anxiety spiked. She took a deep breath in attempt to calm down. If the pack sensed her nervousness they would get nervous. But the closer the vehicles came the stronger the smell of gunpowder and wolfsbane got, and all Erica could think of was Rosalyn and Connor lying on their gurneys, half dead from wolfsbane poisoning.

Erica felt Allison growl at her side and squeezed her betas hand harder. "Don't do it Ally. We will be fine. This will be over soon." She whispered soothingly.

"All of you stay calm." She whispered to the pack, "Follow Derek's lead in this, and try not to give anything away. These people are not our friends. At best they aren't our enemies."

The whole pack could hear her commands; even the non-wolves standing directly behind her, the only people who couldn't hear her were the humans getting out of the cars with their heads held high.

Erica had never met a hunter before but she knew of these people, these murders. Hunters travelled around and killed anything supernatural. They had a code _'we hunt those that hunt us'_ but they didn't always use it, most of the time killing anything they deemed dangerous. They had the twisted view that werewolves were the monsters and hunters were the good people. But, it was hunters that decimated innocent packs everywhere leaving countless pups orphans, not wolves. Erica was the first to admit that there were bad packs out there; packs like the Thorne Pack* that needed to be stopped, but The Argents saw the Hale Pack on the same level as the Thorne Pack. They were all just wild beasts that needed to be put down.

"Hello Derek." The leader of the hunters said.

"Chris. What a surprise to see you." Derek said, his voice taking on a cold tone that Erica had rarely heard her mate use. It was a detached tone that made her skin crawl; a far cry from the loving, sarcastic, caring man she fell for. This tone oozed the stereotype of the unfeeling, power-hungry, alpha male. She saw a few of Argent's men step back slightly as Derek spoke, their hearts beginning to race.

The red headed woman standing next to Chris Argent was unaffected by Derek's tone and was standing slightly behind her husband taking careful looks at each member of the Hale Pack. Erica held back a smile. This woman was doing the same thing she was, let the men talk while the she gathered information on their targets without the leader noticing. To bad that the Hale Pack had two leaders and Victoria was caught. Erica did not miss the puzzled look on Victoria's face at their stance, and watched the woman as she tried to discern which of the boys was standing nearest to the Alpha. She probably was thinking whoever was closer was the Second in command, but everyone stood in a straight line and was an equal distance behind Derek. Erica wanted to cackle at seeing the woman's nostrils flare in annoyance.

One Point Hale Pack.

"By the amount of time it took for you to open the gates, I figured it was a surprise we were coming back into town." Chris said, a slight smile on his face.

"We were out in the woods at bit, it takes awhile to walk. We only move as fast as our humans can, it would be unfair to do otherwise." Derek said. "It is surprise you are back, may I ask why? No offense, but we were all quite happy to see you leave."

"My wife missed home. She grew up here you know, and our daughter lives here." Chris said looking towards Allison.

Allison's eyes yellowed in anger at this point, but luckily she had placed her head in Rose's shoulder, pretending to cry but really using the scent of her pack sister to anchor her to human form. Rosalyn was glaring at Chris, specifically at one of the men behind him.

" _Alpha, one of those men, he was one of the ones in the woods… the ones that were chasing after the puppies and shot me"_ Rosalyn whispered gripping Allison tighter, this time to keep herself from shifting.

"You don't have a daughter." Derek said. "You gave her up, all official records say she was never yours. You did that. So please tell me the reason you are here besides tormenting one of my pack members. Does it have anything to do with that man behind you that was involved in an attack on my beta on Friday afternoon?"

Chris and Victoria looked taken aback.

Point Two Hale Pack.

"Yes, Jason here worked for a man named Henry Maxwell. He has since defected once he found out they were hunting were-children that have committed no crimes. He is helping us take down Maxwell." Victoria said.

"And what was my betas crime besides trying to help children in danger?" Derek said, his voice getting deadlier. "What does this Maxwell have against innocent pups?"

"I'm sorry." The man, Jason, said stepping forward, looking to Derek and to Rose. "We killed their mothers, Henry told us they were responsible for some murders in the Seattle area. I had no clue it wasn't true I swear. When we saw you in the woods, we were told you must a pack mate to the ones we just killed if you were defending the pups, and that you were responsible for the murders too."

Derek let out a growl and Erica knew his eyes flashed red by the look on the hunter's faces. "Do not address any of my pack. From where I stand you are the murderers. You are the monsters." He told Jason as the man jumped back, and Erica wanted to laugh at the smell of urine in the air. "The only reason we let you on our land is because Chris helped us last year against Gerard and I felt like we owed him the opportunity to hear his explanation."

"We want the opportunity to stop Henry before he comes after you for harboring the pups." Chris told Derek.

"If he attacks first, we will defend ourselves." Derek replied, neither confirming nor denying the existence of the pups to the Argents. "You have five days to find him and end him before I start looking."

Chris nodded and signaled his men back to the vehicles. "Fair enough." He said, "As a courtesy, you should know that we intend to stay in town once Maxwell has been handled. And if you or your pack steps a toe out of line we will not hesitate to kill you all."

"My pack has never murdered any innocent person in cold blood. It seems that the hunters we've encountered are the ones with that urge. Gerard, Kate, and now another deranged hunter named Maxwell…when will you realize that the real monsters might be looking you in the mirror?" Derek fired back. "Your threats don't scare me Argent. Now get off my property."

The high and mighty demeanor that Victoria and Chris Argent had seemed to deflate at Derek's words, as they returned to their vehicles quickly. No one moved until the vehicles were out of the gates and Derek pressed the button locking them.

Erica ran to her mate and hugged him. "You did great, babe." She told him.

He kissed the top of her head and sighed. "What was your assessment?" he asked.

"Victoria was frustrated at our stance, she couldn't figure us out. None off the goons have been with them for long; they were too twitchy to be as well trained as Chris and Victoria are. They were all terrified of you and amazed at the size of our pack. They were also hiding something; a few of them had a small smile on their faces when Chris mentioned us stepping out of line…they know something we don't" Erica told him, before breaking the hug and turning to her pack. "Did I miss something?"

The pack had arranged itself more comfortably. They typically didn't arrange themselves according to status during meals and meetings. So the fake hierarchy they set up for the Argent meet had everyone uncomfortable. They had all scattered and rearranged to form a semi-circle around Derek and Erica; a much more soothing arrangement for everyone involved.

"Not that I could tell." Cora said. "But your right I do get the sense they know about something we don't."

"The only thing we can do is be on our guards." Derek said, "Best case scenario, they take care of our Maxwell problem and leave us alone."

"Nephew, when has the best case scenario ever happened?" Peter asked.

"It doesn't hurt to be cautiously optimistic, Dad." Malia said.

"Okay." Sarah sighed, "I say we all have ourselves a pool party, and dinner so we can decompress before our week starts. I'll let John and Mel know we are in the clear."

Everyone nodded; most of the pack started school in the morning, Rosalyn started her new job, and everyone else had to go back to work. It was also Allison's first day out in the world as a wolf. Tomorrow would be a busy day indeed.

"Allison," Erica said holding the beta back as Derek and the rest of the pack made their way to their rooms for their swimsuits. "You could barely handle your shift when the Argents were here, do you want to risk it at the school? There is no harm taking the week off, I had to when I was first turned. You can help Marin watch over the pups."

Allison shook her head. "I have packmates in all three of my lectures tomorrow, Isaac and Scott had a schedule drawn up for someone to be with me at all times, just in case I need an anchor, even when I'm at work. I should be fine. The only thing that had me shifting is that they were still referring to me as their daughter."

Erica was skeptical. "If you are sure…"

"I am, Erica. Let me do this. I'll come home the second I feel it its not going to work."

* * *

What remained of Sunday evening passed blissfully, and the next thing Erica knew it was Monday morning and  _Wolf's Run_  was bustling with activity. Breakfast was burning, people were falling asleep where they stood, notebooks and textbooks were flying, people kept spilling on their outfits and a five year old was screaming in the middle of the dining room at the top of her lungs.

The "foolproof" schedule that they had worked out for childcare was thrown out when Marin got a call during breakfast about a counseling job at the elementary school. Her old position at the high school had been filled but they were in desperate need of someone at the elementary school to start as soon as possible. The pups wouldn't start school for another week and now that Marin couldn't watch them some rearranging had to be done.

Peter and Derek, called into work immediately, opting to work from home. They could do that since they were the bosses. This did not please Juliet at all; spending her day with 'icky boys' was not a priority. She was even less pleased when she heard the plans for the day consisted of shopping for school supplies for the pups and a restock of the Den's pantry and cupboards (which was running dangerously low). Raul and Diego seemed excited at the news they were spending the day with their adoptive father and cousin, and Connor looked torn between disagreeing with Juliet and behaving himself.

Melissa and John had left for their early shifts by the time their new daughter began her tantrum, so as Juliet's alpha Erica was forced to step in.

"Stop." Erica said in her alpha tone, and Juliet reluctantly obeyed. "If you promise to behave until lunchtime for Peter and Derek, I'll come and pick you up and you can spent the rest of the day with me. But understand I can only do this for today, because I only have one class, the rest of the week you have to stay with whatever pack-mate is not busy, got it?"

Juliet had nodded her agreement enthusiastically.

The whole room sighed in relief once the tantrum was over and proceeded to get ready for the day. Mondays were the busiest days for most of them, everyone except Erica was scheduled to be somewhere between the hours of eight and three, with no one having enough free time to babysit. So, the morning proceeded in the same rushed, organized chaos it had before Juliet's banshee impression; with the added drama of no one being able to find their keys.

Everyone was in their cars and out the gate by eight o'clock. Erica was nervous that she would not make it to her class on time.

* * *

She did end up making her lecture on time, but the professor ended up being ten minutes late, and decided that meant he should lecture for fifteen minutes after class was supposed to end. The lecture hall was full with first- year students, who were afraid of telling a professor they went over, and the only thing that shut the man up was the professor for the next lecture barging in the room telling him that the next class started soon.

She called Derek asking where he wanted her to meet them.

"We're in the parking lot, Peter is putting Juliet and Connor's carseats in the backseat of your truck." He said. "Connor refuses to go anywhere without Juliet."

"How does everyone have a key to my truck?" She mused before hanging up the phone.

Erica walked to the parking lot and saw Diego and Raul chasing Juliet around her truck, Connor sat patiently on Derek's shoulders looking exasperated while Derek smiled.

Once she arrived at the vehicle Peter emerged from the backseat. "Okay, carseats are in." He said giving a glare to the running children. "They have been like this all morning."

Derek's smile was a full-blown grin at this point. "Welcome to fatherhood Uncle." He said getting Connor down from his shoulders and handing him to Erica.

Connor was the most easy-going of the pups; he loved cuddles, playing and being held. "Hi Erica." The little boy sighed wrapping his arms around her. "We did lots today." He sighed as she settled him on her hip.

"No we didn't." Diego said, as the chasing stopped. "We only did school shopping Erica, we barely did anything. But Peter and Derek are taking us to do guy things now that you are taking Julie and Con with you."

Erica opened her car door and threw her backpack on the front seat."Really. Guy things?" She said smirking towards a guilty looking Derek and Peter. "I thought you boys were going to stock the pantry?"

"We're going to the sporting goods store later. We need some supplies for the bunker and the armory. Malia wasn't exaggerating when she said we weren't prepared for a siege." Derek said. "We are calling it guy things because it is what got my new cousins to get excited about helping."

Erica laughed and placed Connor in her back seat fastening him in the blue carseat with a 'C' on it. "Do you guys need help?"

"No, we're making trips. And most of the pack will join us when they are out of class or work." Peter said, herding his sons towards his car. "We're heading home to unload the school stuff and get the Van."

Derek leaned down to kiss Erica before walking towards his uncle's car.

"Gross." Came from Juliet who was now standing next to Erica with a disgusted look on her face.

Erica rolled her eyes and picked up her little beta, helping her into the truck. Juliet then climbed past her brother and began fastening herself in the green carseat with a 'J' on it.

"Do you need help with that Julie?" Erica asked.

"Nope." She said as the buckles clicked. "Daddy says I'm a smart girl, since I did it myself after seeing him do it once."

Erica smiled and engaged the child lock on the door before shutting it and heading for the drivers seat. She then took a picture of the two McCall-Stilinski children, strapped safely in her backseat and sent it to their parents.

"So, who is hungry?" She asked.

Melissa had told Erica via text that once they had lunch, her children would need a nap. This was absolutely true for Connor, who was currently passed out on Erica's lap. Juliet however saw that there was a park with "a playground way cooler than the one at home" down the road from the diner. Her desire to play on the playground combined with the fuel she got from her chicken nugget meal was enough to get Juliet to overcome any tiredness she felt.

So here Erica was, watching Juliet socialize with the other children on the playground, sitting on a bench with a snoring three year old on her lap, having the distinct feeling she was being watched.

She had seen the same vehicle follow her from the school to the diner, and now it was parked right across the street from the park watching them. When they left the diner, she deliberately drove by the vehicle with her window down, to see if she could catch the scent of wolfsbane, but she could only pick up the smell of coffee.

They weren't hunters so why were they following them? Erica remained wary of the vehicle, just because they didn't smell like hunters did not mean they weren't dangerous.

* * *

 **GROUP MESSAGE: DEREK, ALLY, ROSALYN, CORA, MALIA,** and **YOU**

**YOU: This car has been following me all day. They don't smell like hunters, but spread the word to everyone to keep an eye out.**

**DEREK: Are you okay? Do you need backup?**

**YOU: I'm fine. They are just watching. I'd figure we'd head home soon.**

**CORA: We'll spread the word Erica. Stay Safe.**

**MALIA: Derek, I can here you frowning from here. She said she's fine.**

**ALLY: I'll get the phone tree started. Wait how does that work now that we have two Seconds in the pack?**

**ROSALYN: And two Thirds.**

**CORA: We'll divide and conquer. I'll call you when I get out of class and we'll meet up okay Allison?**

**ALLY: Fine with me.**

**MALIA: Rose, do they mind if you have a visitor at the school for lunch? I have an hour and a half until my next class.**

**ROSALYN: Shouldn't be a problem, I'll leave your name in the front office.**

**YOU: I am so proud of you four, sharing responsibility…**

**Derek: Considering that as a child Cora couldn't be bothered to share our mother's attention…I'm impressed too. She's come so far.**

**CORA: Shut up Derek.**

* * *

The rest of the day and the days that followed were relatively uneventful in regards to threats on the pack. The car and others like it was spotted many times by most of the pack but it never presented itself as a threat, so they all just tried to go about their days.

Derek and Peter were able to go back to work on Tuesday, because as the week went on, everyone's schedules got a bit more flexible, so there was always someone at Wolf's Run to watch the pups. Everyone seemed to be settling into some sort of routine.

Unlike the majority of her pack, as the week went on Erica got busier. College life was different than she had anticipated, but compared to being an alpha werewolf, it wasn't horribly difficult. It just called for a few adjustments. The classes were much longer than high school, and the workload was ridiculous, but she found if she spent her free time at the library doing homework and studying between classes she was able to get what she needed done in and not have to study in the evenings. Evenings were pack time for her; time to be an alpha, a pack-sister, a mate and friend, time to laugh and bond. She didn't want that time sullied by schoolwork, as it was precious to have time as a pack when they did not have an immediate threat to deal with.

That's not to say that she and Derek weren't aware of the threats looming on the horizon, they were keeping an eye on the situations as best they could.

The Council and the Argents all had intelligence that Maxwell was lying low outside of town, and the Argents had left to hunt the guy down. A part of Erica hoped that they would find him and bring him to justice, but a larger part of her knew that they would have trouble killing a human, no matter how evil he was and her pack would end up having to deal with him. She was not looking forward to this confrontation.

The Argents themselves were still classified as threats. Victoria had been spotted multiple times on the campus observing Allison. The woman seemed determined to reconcile with her daughter, but Allison knew what it was really about; Victoria wanted intelligence in case they had to take the pack down and a fake reconciliation seemed like her best option. The Argents seemed oblivious of their control over the Lane Family, who would provide whatever intelligence Victoria wanted if she asked them. Thankfully, The Council was understanding of their position in sharing sensitive information in front of a Shaman, and did not press Peter any further during his second meeting. In fact, Isis Lane had been relieved that Peter knew of her binding to the Argents, as she didn't want to be in the position of sharing information any more than The Hale Pack wanted her sharing it.

As for the threat of the FBI, they still had no clue what that was about. Agents from the Sacramento field office had taken over the conference room of the Sheriff's Station on Tuesday. They were not willing to share "Sensitive Information" with the Sheriff and told him that when their lead agent arrived he would notify the Sheriff of the situation. The whole pack knew that this meant that McCall was the lead agent on this case; they just had no clue what the case was. Erica had never seen John Stilinski so pissed off in her life.

The pack couldn't prevent what was going to happen, they could only prepare mentally. And they honestly were too preoccupied dealing with the pups' problems to worry about something they could not stop.

* * *

Raising traumatized children was as difficult as they anticipated. It hurt to see them all struggling to adjust to having a pack and people that would protect them, and not having to fend for themselves. Each child dealt with their past differently, but after a few days the pack had gotten used to it and was supporting the pups' parents and Marin in helping the children work through things. These kids were great kids the majority if the time, but they needed therapy. The early trauma they experienced was clearly affecting them.

Raul typically was a quiet, slightly sarcastic child, but when he was frightened that fierce little child-alpha that Erica met last week appeared with a vengeance. Raul was prone to violent outbursts. He didn't have nightmares but his outbursts were triggered by loud noises and made him think that he was still running from hunters, responsible for keeping Diego, Juliet and Connor alive. In these moments, only his adoptive father or his alpha could bring him back to the present.

Diego was normally a mind-mannered agreeable boy. But when he had a nightmare or was scared by loud noises he would run into the woods. They would find him hiding in the ruins of the old Hale House, the mausoleum, or in one of the underground tunnels, and he would refuse to come out for hours, insisting that they were all a good dream, that he could never be happy or safe.

Juliet was a happy child; she talked constantly, was always laughing and constantly moving. The trouble was she constantly had nightmares. This lack of sleep caused her to have epic tantrums at whatever displeased her.

And then there was Connor, who Erica swore was actually a puppy dog at times- until he got cranky. He was very sensitive to the pack link, so whenever someone else was frightened or nervous, he got upset. When that little boy was upset he cried endlessly until someone- he preferred it be John or Melissa- picked him up and tried to soothe him.

* * *

Thursday evening found the entire pack on the main floors of the den. And Erica loved it. There was togetherness and laughter, and everyone was content.

After dinner was finished and the dishes clean, Jackson had declared it game night. So multiple games** had broken out all over the den.

In the dining room, Jackson began with a slight lead in the game Monopoly. Cora and Stiles had been trying to broker alliances with the other players for most of the game so they could "take the asshole down". Lydia, Danny, Boyd and Rosalyn refused their offer, and as the game went on it became apparent that the four of them had an alliance of their own; they had turned the tables on Jackson, bankrupted Stiles and had set their sights on Cora.

John, Peter, Derek, Marin, Allison, Aiden and Ethan were in the midst of a poker tournament at the small kitchen table. They were playing for money, not poker chips. Her mate was getting his ass kicked by the sound of it, but the man didn't know when to quit.

In the basement, a Wii tennis tournament had broken out in the theater room. Team Melissa/Sarah had successfully beaten Team Kira/Malia and Team Diego/Raul had demolished Team Braeden/Scott. The losing teams would play for third place after the championship match so as Melissa put it "they could sit their buts down and watch Mama win", but instead of watching they were playing a game of Go Fish. The championship game was well underway, causing Sarah and Raul to engage in some light Mother-Son trash talk during the game.

Erica was in the living room with Isaac, Juliet and Connor engaged in an intense battle with her tiny betas and her pack brother at the coffee table. Connor was too young to play most of the games the pack had in the cupboard downstairs but when he saw that they had Candy Land the boy started squealing in delight. Apparently they played the game at his old daycare and he loved it. So she couldn't help but saying yes when he asked her to play with him. She was losing to a three year old, but at least the three year old was happy, and at least (unlike some mates she could name) she was not losing money.

"Erica, how they heck are you losing?" Isaac asked. "Alpha up,  _Puppy._  The real puppies are kicking our asses. Its embarrassing."

"Ohhh, you said a bad word." Juliet sang as she made her next move. "Mama Mel said she's going to make a swear jar because everyone in the pack has a potty mouth."

"Is that so?" Erica said with a grin, that jar would be filled in minutes; they'd be able to pay for the pups' future college tuition on this swear jar method.

"Yep, she already has one in our house, Daddy and Stiles had to put a lot of quarters in it already." Juliet said.

"Shit." Connor said when his card moved him back a few spaces. Erica held back a laugh, but Isaac was not so self-controlled.

"Who taught you that word Con?" Isaac said while cracking up.

"Sti and Daddy. I heards it." Connor said. "That a No-No word?" he asked.

"Yes it is." Erica said.

"Don't tell Mama Mel! I no have moneys." Connor said seriously.

"I don't think you have to pay if she doesn't hear it Con." Juliet informed. "I had a vision of Uncle Peter using a naughty word at his Council meeting yesterday and Mama Mel said that it didn't count, because he didn't say it in front of us."

"Why was Peter swearing?" Isaac asked.

"I asked him when he came back." Juliet said, "He told me that a were-kitty annoyed him. Nothing bad happened he just has a potty mouth."

Erica grinned knowing the story. Peter unknowingly dated a were-tiger in high school, and the breakup ended badly. Now she was on The Council and liked to cut Peter off whenever he spoke as penance for dumping her. Peter had come home cursing about interrupting tigers.

It was nearly eight thirty and the pups were getting tired. Erica figured that everything would wrap up soon.

She was wrong. Her phone beeped and the security app popped up.

She finally had the app that Derek had on his phone, installed on her own. She was tired of being the second to know what was happening on their property.

**Main Gate: Movement Detected**

She opened the feed. A tan-skinned man with could be seen and he had multiple vehicles with flashing police lights on them. " _This is the FBI, we have a warrant to search the premises, open up these gates immediately."_  He said.

"Everyone stop what you are doing and either sit quietly in the living room or in the dining room while Erica and I great our guests." Derek ordered from the kitchen.

**Derek Hale has unlocked Main Gate**

She heard every one move around, the wolves explaining what was happening to the non-wolves and Erica got up and met Derek at the front door. He handed her his phone and keys and she put them in the pockets of her hooded sweatshirt. They didn't want the FBI to have the all access pass to their security system that Derek's phone and keys would give them, and they both knew whatever this was about, it was about him, not her.

She grabbed Derek's hand as the opened the front door and saw all the police vehicles, and FBI vans speed down the driveway of their home.

"This is not good." Erica said.

"No it is not." Derek said. "But we can handle it. I love you."

"I love you too." She said as they both stepped onto the porch.

The man from the front gate exited the lead vehicle, they all had guns pointing at Derek.

"Hale, step away from the girl." He yelled.

Derek put his hands up in the air and stepped away from her, Erica had never been so frightened in her life. All these people surrounding their home, many of them pointing guns at her mate, and the worst part was she could smell the self righteousness; these people truly thought Derek was a danger to her and others.

She felt the alpha part of her ache to break free and attack these people that dare point weapons at her mate, before she remembered the protection spells on the property that protected him from harm. She could tell Derek was barely keeping it together as well, her bond sensed a barely contained alpha male fighting for release, to protect his pack and mate from intruders.

" _We can't fight them Der_." She whispered. As many men stormed the porch and a few cuffed Derek.

Once the metal was placed on her mate's wrist she lost it in a very human way. She started fighting with the female agent that was holding her back, and screaming. "He didn't do anything wrong! Where are you taking him? Why are you doing this to us?"

She sensed that the pack was watching the scene from the windows, all of them in agitated states of disbelief.

"It's okay." The man that spoke at the gate said in a condescending tone, looking from Erica to the faces in the windows. "You are all safe now. Derek Hale will be going away for a long time."

Erica used her wolf strength to break free of her agent and walked up straight to the man. "We were never in danger from Derek you ass. What crimes has he committed exactly? None. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Agent Rafael McCall. I've been investigating Derek Hale for the past few months. We now have enough evidence to bring him in. He can't hurt you anymore if you and the rest of his followers decide to cooperate."

Erica glared at McCall in disgust. "You know nothing." She told him before looking to the car they were putting her mate in the back of. "Derek! We'll get you out of this I swear! I love you!" She yelled.

" _I love you too Erica."_ She heard him whisper.  _"Take care of our pack while I'm gone, the lawyers will have me out soon."_

She hoped that was true.

She was helpless as the FBI tore apart their home over the next few hours as Derek watched from the backseat of a cruiser and the rest of the pack looked on dumbfounded and helpless to stop it. John had looked over the warrant; they had an all-access pass to search all the buildings on the property. Needless to say the Sheriff was fuming that many of his deputies were helping the FBI serve the warrant. Not only had McCall served them the warrant that allowed him to tear apart their home, but he also served John with papers giving him a hearing date…the Sheriff could lose his job for being involved with a suspected cult.

The FBI tore up all the furniture, looking for hiding places or anything illegal. They took photos of everyone's rooms and belongings, took some pack photos and knick-knacks as "evidence", and had EMTs give simple "non-invasive" examinations. These exams were to check everyone over for injuries, fingerprint them and asking their full names. Erica and John put their foot down about them doing these invasive examinations in a different room, the pack had been traumatized enough and the kids were in tears. If they wanted exams done they would be done in the open, not behind closed doors where shady things could happen.

"We have to do a rape kit on all of you." McCall insisted.

Erica raised her eyebrow, and tried her hardest not to kick the man in the balls. "Not without their consent you aren't. I say no for me. I don't want anyone poking around down there. And I haven't been raped."

"Ms. Reyes, you have been brainwashed." McCall stated. "All of you have. Why else would Hale keep all the women in this main house and the men in the houses outside? He's using all of you. You just haven't seen it yet."

Erica snorted. "Open your eyes. You've seen the houses. You see clearly that my boyfriend and I live in this house with his sister, his cousin and their boyfriends and everyone else lives in their own homes. Check the rooms on the third floor, there should be dust showing you no one has used them in months."

"If I have to get a court order for rape kits for all of you…" McCall started.

"You can try." Jackson said walking toward them. "But our lawyers are on their way. And they will block that. This whole investigation and search is on shaky legal ground, be prepared to lose you badge when this is finished."

 _"Lawyers?"_  Erica whispered to him.

 _"I called my parents."_  He whispered back. " _They are getting on the first flight they can."_

Erica sighed in relief. The Whittemores were the best lawyers one could hire. She was happy that Jackson had swallowed his pride and called them to help the pack. She was unsure if the lawyers at Hale Holdings would be useful if the FBI was bringing criminal charges against Derek.

McCall looked unimpressed at Jackson's statement, and walked away having everyone redouble their search. And Erica returned to watching the whole affair in a daze, completely helpless to stop any of it.

She wasn't too concerned about them finding werewolf stuff or weapons. During renovations the armory was moved underground, accessed only by placing your index finger on a keypad on the first floor of the pool house. When Braeden moved back she had charmed all the supernatural books on the premises to seem like innocuous books found in your local library. All access to the underground bunker and escape tunnels were well hidden, and most entrances were in the woods, a place the warrant did not cover.

The only thing that they could find that was "Cult-y" was the triskele. The triskele was everywhere on the premises, and each pack member had a triskele that they wore on them at all times. The FBI took pictures of their pack symbol where ever it turned up; Erica heard whispers of it being how Hale marked and controlled his cult. She rolled her eyes at this, because no one but Derek had the symbol permanently marked on their flesh; they all had golden key-rings, rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, or necklaces. Derek didn't want them to tattoo themselves, because tattooing for a wolf was extremely painful.

Last night was such a good night; they had given her new pack-members their own triskele symbols. The pups didn't wear jewelry so Raul and Diego had insisted on having one painted on their bedroom walls, Connor had a stuffed wolf named Joey with a triskele on his collar and Juliet's nightlight was a glowing triskele. Rosalyn and Marin opted for the jewelry route; Rosalyn getting a bracelet that matched her mate's and Marin a ring. Everyone had spent the evening celebrating and happy.

How could things be so different a mere twenty-four hours later?

It took the FBI hours to finish. By the time the agents were packing up  _Wolf's Run_  was a mess and the pups had fallen asleep crying on their parents and older siblings.

" _I'm sorry I can't stop this."_ She whispered to Derek, crying as the FBI convoy began to drive away with him cuffed in the back of a walked out onto the porch and watched them go, the alpha in her demanding control and retribution for being separated from her mate.

 _"I don't expect you to. Just keep them safe until we can get out of this..."_ He said, before he was to far down the drive for her to hear him.

She used his cell phone to lock the gate behind the last car. She took a deep breath and began to cry harder. She searched the pack link; everyone was upset. Braeden and Marin channeled their energy to magically cleaning the mess the agents left in their wake. John soothed the distraught Connor and Juliet the best he could when they woke and found that what had happened wasn't a nightmare. Lydia, Kira, Sarah, and Mel began looking for "blankets unsoiled by FBI agents grubby hands" and were organizing the theater room to become the place they could all end up sleeping tonight as a pack, knowing closeness was imperative during times like these.

All the wolves (besides Juliet and Connor) joined her outside. She felt they were all so angry they were barely holding back a shift. They all started to strip out of their unnecessary outer layers (sweats, jackets etc), preparing themselves for the pack run. Unlike a full moon run, this pack run would not be joyful and the pack would be incomplete. No Derek.

She heard multiple whimpers behind her.

She howled in agony. They all followed suit.

She shifted and ran for the woods. They all shifted and followed her.

They ran and howled for an hour, until Raul and Diego's little legs gave out in exhaustion and they had to return to the den.

She let out one final howl before re-entering the den. This one was more of an alpha-roar and it conveyed more than just the packs agony and anger. It was a message to her mate sitting in a cell across town.

_Stay Strong My Love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> * if you didn't read Teen She Wolf… the Thorne Pack was the big bad during that story, they were a all-male pack that wanted to kill all the Hales and take their female wolves to use as 'breeders', obviously they did not succeed.
> 
> * * Games mentioned: Monopoly, Poker (Texas Hold Em), Wii Tennis, Go Fish and CandyLand


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A) an updated Hale Pack List (haven't had a new one since chap 2) at the end of this chap.
> 
> B) POVS In this chapter: Erica, Isaac and Jackson (Part A), and Agent McCall (Part B)
> 
> C) my homepage (allhailhalesDOTwebsDOTcom) and my tumblr (hailhaleswriting) have a diagram of the Hale Pack Hierarchy and a diagram/sketch of Wolf's Run, if that is helpful while reading this story.

* * *

**Part A**

* * *

She woke the next morning and reached for Derek only to grab onto a mass that was not her mate.

"I expect to be wooed before going to second base." Cora stated, rolling over and facing Erica with a sad smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Pissed." Erica said, looking around her and noting that the whole pack (besides her mate) was cuddled up together on the floor of the theater room in one large puppy-pile. Erica sensed that most everyone was awake, and that no one had slept much, the uncertainty of Derek's situation driving everyone mad. They were all seeking comfort of one another and fighting back pathetic whines.

Their home had been invaded and a pack member had been taken from them, none of them were happy at all, especially not Erica. How dare that rat McCall come storming into her home, accuse her mate of being a creepy cult leader and insinuate him committing heinous crimes against them then take him away? Didn't they have to have proof anymore?

Before Cora could respond the TV (which she had hooked into the security system) sprang to life.

**Movement Detected: Main Gate**

After clicking the appropriate buttons, Erica was able to get the security feed to show on the TV, and what she saw made even angrier then she had been. The Argents where at their front gate, unloading weapons from their trunk. The audio kicked in to catch Chris Argent mid-speech " _Remember when Bitten wolves are alpha-less they tend to go rabid. You heard the howls last night; they are complete animals. I'd be surprised if they haven't started killing the humans and each other by now. Our goal is extermination."_

Erica started growling, beginning to see red. They dare try to exterminate her pack? Those imbeciles had another thing coming; she was not going to let that stand. The alpha in her demanded her human instincts take the backseat and let the wolf take care of the pack. She wasn't about to let human morals hold her back from doing what had to be done.

* * *

Isaac watched the security feed stunned. He looked to his mates. Allison was seething; her eyes were glowing yellow as she walked away from him and Scott towards their alpha. Scott, still a mess from seeing his father for the first time in more than a decade was glaring at the screen as if the power of his thoughts could change the Argent's minds.

"That's not true! Bitten wolves have control! Do we look uncontrolled?" Stiles yelled, as everyone abruptly stood up.

"He's not completely wrong. If our pack was alpha-less and only Bitten, there is a chance of going rabid, depending how untrained..." Peter said. "But all you Bitten wolves are trained, this pack has Born wolves, and other creatures to anchor you and we are not alpha-less… we have Erica."

Everyone looked to Erica, waiting for orders.

Erica turned to face them, her eyes glowing red. "We're all taking a ride to the front gate. It's time they see that this pack has no time for their bigoted games." She said as she led the pack out to the cars, ordering them all to drive to the front gate.

Most of the pack was able to ride in Erica's truck (the cab and the truck bed) and the rest of them took Stiles' jeep and the Sheriff's cruiser. The arrangement had Isaac once again separated from his mates. Reason one for the separation; Allison was now a Second, and all the highest ranked pack members were riding in the cab of Erica's truck listening to Erica's growled instructions. The larger reason for the separation is that during confrontations wolves tend to stand away from their mates so they can focus on the fight; if he were standing next to Scotty and Al while trying to face a threat, he'd be more focused on how to keep _them_ safe, not following his alpha's orders and protecting the whole pack.

They exited the vehicles and all lined up according to approximate rank behind Erica. Every wolf had glowing eyes, and most of the guys had their claws out. He didn't have to turn around to know that Kira's eyes were glowing, and sparks were coming from her hands, or that The Druids eyes were glowing white as they drew on their power, thickening the air around them with magic, or that Lydia had fallen back…he felt all of it. But he did a quick check to confirm everyone was here.

Everyone was doing exactly as predicted, while watching Erica and Victoria size each other up. Lydia was standing farther back than she needed too, in a protective stance her hands at the ready and her mouth ready to scream, Sarah was at her left in a similar position and Peter was at her right fully shifted; they were standing guard of the packs most vulnerable: the pups and the humans. Erica didn't need to give that order, as Elders Peter and Sarah knew their duty, and as an older sister without a high werewolf rank to keep her from standing guard over them, Lydia was not letting the Argents get near her brothers, or Isaac's favorite in-laws*.

"Another Alpha…" Victoria gasped her eyes trained on Erica.

_Good, they heard how dangerous mated alphas were…especially if separated._ Isaac thought, as the hunters behind Chris and Victoria stepped back, looking terrified.

"Allison." Chris gasped looking sick, noting that Allison stood next to Erica, and her eyes were beta yellow.

Isaac expected his female-mate to react to her former-father's disgust, but he felt nothing but disinterest through the bond. Isaac knew that being cast away hurt his mate more than anything, causing her to feel hatred for her former family. Now, Al was seeing them as an enemy of her true family, not the people that raised her.

"What have you done to my daughter?" Victoria raged, drawing her weapon and firing at Erica. The bullet was immediately deflected by the magic that Marin and Bray had performed and Victoria was left stunned as Erica simply laughed and approached the gate.

"Stay where you are. They can't hurt us. Control your shifts." Erica ordered, addressing the pack as her own claws appeared and she grasped Chris and Victoria Argent through the gate by their necks.

Isaac watched as everyone's shift reversed, aside from the glowing eyes, and took a deep breath as he heard Erica whisper in the Argents' ears menacingly. She spoke so low that even Isaac couldn't hear what she said, but he did smell their fear.

"We're sorry." Chris pleaded, gasping for air. "We thought…"

"I know what you thought!" Erica yelled releasing the couple and letting them fall to the ground. "You thought that since my mate was gone my pack would be easy to kill. That they'd be rabid so your code would allow you to WIPE US OUT!"

Erica shook her head, and Isaac couldn't see her face but he knew he did not want to be on the receiving end of that face. He'd seen Derek when the alpha in him had full control; it wasn't a pretty sight. He could only imagine how sweet little Erica looked when the beast had full control.

In the past they all had teased Erica for being the least threatening alpha ever, simply because Erica was downright adorable and playful; the little sister to them all…their _Puppy_. But in a situation that threatened the pack…for example their impending extermination via his least favorite in-laws… she turned vicious, protective alpha. Frankly Isaac was terrified, and would be running for the hills if he didn't know she was his alpha too. Something similar would come over Derek when the pack was threatened, especially back when he was their only alpha, he'd be their loving Sour Wolf up until the point when someone made a whisper of a threat against them then he'd turn menacing.

"Stay clear of my pack." Erica ordered. "I'm a predator not a killer. But I will eliminate you if you come near me and mine again. You find Maxwell, you end him so I don't have to and then you all leave town for good. I am not my mate; I do not give second chances." She warned.

The Argents were at a loss for words, and they all backed away, loading into their vehicles. He had never smelt so much fear from a group of hunters in his life.

Once they left Erica retracted her claws and ordered everyone back to the house to get ready for the day. She had Braeden drive the truck back because Erica wanted to conference with her Seconds and Thirds before she gave everyone orders for the day. Isaac hopped in the truck bed and watched as the five women formed a circle and started talking about the problems the pack had to tackle that day.

Last year, as part of his vet training, Scott needed to take an animal behavior class so Isaac joined him. He remembered one lecture vividly; the professor was talking about how, in nature, the female of a species was far more deadly than the male. He remembered most of the class scoffing initially, needing further proof, their human socialization telling them that human women were weaker than males so it must be true for all of the animal kingdom. But Isaac and his male mate knew better than to scoff. They witnessed this fact in their own pack.

Female wolves (Born or Bitten) could endure far more pain, were better in combat, were more vicious and protective of their packs and were better strategists than male wolves. Yes, it took longer for a Bitten female's transformation to settle due to their reproductive systems, but in all other aspects Bitten females embraced being a wolf more quickly than males.

There was a reason that the female wolves were higher ranked than males in his pack, they were stronger and more deadly. In his pack the males gladly followed their females; Cora, Malia, Erica, and now Allison and Rose, were the strongest, and most controlled of the pack. Even now during this turmoil with the hunters and FBI, and Derek's arrest, the only sign of anger they showed was their glowing eyes, while the rest of the wolves had struggled to keep their claws and fangs from appearing until Erica alpha-ordered them to keep control. Derek didn't chose Cora and Malia to be his Second and Third because they were his family, he chose them because they were the strongest. And Erica didn't have to make Allison and Rose her Second and Third, she could have asked any of the males and they would have said yes, but it was clear to Isaac that his alphas had made the best choice when choosing their Seconds and Thirds.

Isaac almost pitied the fools that tried to take down the Hale Pack. His Alphas would not allow it, their Seconds and Thirds would not allow it, and even the betas and non-wolves would fight tooth and nail to protect this pack. This was the only family most of them knew, and they would fight to keep it.

Isaac truly believed that against hunters, the FBI, other packs and god knows what else, the Hale Pack would always come out on top. They were a family, and they had the best leadership a lowly Beta like him could ask for.

* * *

They were all given their marching orders and whoever needed to leave to complete their task was out the gate by 8 a.m., like it was any normal day. But it wasn't a normal day. Derek was in jail, none of them had slept, and they had a face off with hunters at five in the morning. Nothing about this day was normal.

Yet they had to continue on, Blondie had ordered it. So Peter went to Hale Holdings to make sure nothing was going badly because of the CEO's recent arrest. The Sheriff had to go into work and pack up his office because he had been suspended until his hearing date. Marin, Rosalyn and Sarah all had to go to their jobs despite the upheaval. And Jackson and his mate were on their way to pick up his parents.

Everyone else was at the Den, with Erica, deciding that skipping class was better than dealing with the gossips. Personally Jackson wanted to stay at Wolf's Run with them, as he felt like he was about to explode, but Almighty Alpha Blonde had insisted he pick up his parents.

When he found out he was adopted, he was a little shit to his parents. He resented them for not being his real mom and dad, and blamed them for the feeling of not belonging that he felt. He never understood how they could claim to love him if he wasn't their blood. He never understood the love of family until he became apart of a pack.

The day he was Bitten and became a part of a pack, is the day he stopped being that selfish little shit who was horrible to the people that raised him. He finally understood that family wasn't just blood, family was people who loved you unconditionally. His pack and the Whittemore's were his family. In the days after joining the "Hale Cult" he picked up the phone and called his folks. That day was the first time they talked since he started college. It had nearly been a year, his mother had cried, his father had cried, he apologized and they forgave him.

Since then they had been rebuilding their relationship as a family. His parents had moved from Beacon Hills once he was out of high school, choosing to run their law firm in Los Angeles and visit his mother's family in London when they could. Once he made that phone call they tried to get together once a month and catch up. He didn't see a point in lying to them about what changed his mind, so he explained that being a werewolf had given him a unique perspective on family.

They didn't really believe him until he shifted, but after he shifted they surprised him. They embraced him, asked him questions, and asked him about his pack, if they treated him right and more. They were genuinely interested in his new life, and happy that he had found the belonging he had always wanted. They continued with the monthly visits (with rescheduling around the times the Alpha-Pack and Thorne Pack were attacking) and sometimes they even would stay at _Wolf's Run_ getting to know the pack. He explained that humans could join as well, and they saw how respected John and Melissa were, but pack life was not for them, Beacon Hills was not their town anymore. He understood, but also was a little jealous that Lydia, Malia, Stilinksi and McCall could have their parents with the pack 24/7, it would have been nice.

Months ago, when the rumors of the "Hale Cult" started getting worse, one of his parents old friends called them and informed them of their sons involvement with a dangerous and deadly cult. At the time he and Kira were visiting his parents in LA and were floored that the gossip had reached them this far from home. Jackson had been upfront with his parents about any potential danger they faced, and told them that his pack was only dangerous to beings that meant to harm them.

" _The town just doesn't understand Mom. The pack is a family…its more than family, its hurts to not be close."_ He had said.

_"Jackson, we know because you have explained, but how are the humans supposed to interpret this? I don't see this ending well if the rumors get bad. Sometimes rumors become fact, which become anonymous tips."_ His father said.

" _Sweetie, we know Derek isn't harming any of you. We know you aren't a cult. But sooner or later someone is going to start a witch-hunt out of fear and ignorance. Just try to prepare."_ Mom told him.

Jackson had told them he'd relay the message, but he really didn't believe what they said would happen would actually happen. He ended the conversation laughing their concern off, calling them typical over-protective parents and they continued about their day together.

Last night, when his parents were proved right, Jackson felt sick. He was angry he was wrong, angry that he laughed off their concern and angry that he would have to swallow his pride and ask for their help. He swore to himself when he finished high school that he would make it on his own in the world, never using his parents influence and money to get him out of a situation. He wasn't the same person he was when he was eighteen but he was still stubborn on this one subject, he accepted their love and a relationship with them, but he didn't want their help. They were his parents, he loved them but he had always been too stubborn to ask for help.

But they were the best lawyers, and his pack needed the best. He simply texted them " **Witch-hunt in progress. Derek arrested.** " And within seconds they texted they would be in Beacon Hills in the morning, and would take care of it. No questions asked, they took a red-eye in from London to Sacramento and were taking the train to Beacon Hills.

His parents had spoken at length with Erica and John this morning, asking about the search and the papers served and if they knew what the charges were. Jackson had fought back a smile; Agent McCall would be losing his badge for sure if Mom's groans about "conflicts of interest", "searches and seizures without sufficient evidence" and "who gave this man a badge? A cereal box?" were anything to go by.

When they got to the train station Kira squealed and jumped out of the car, "Jackson hurry! They are already here!" his mate said. "I haven't seen them in forever!"

"It's been less than a month Kira. Do you not remember us all flying to New York so your parents and my parents could meet? Or was that just a nightmare?" He said, following his mate and shaking off thoughts of her mother, who was not his biggest fan.

Kira was much faster than he was, due to her kitsune heritage, so by the time he caught up with her, she was already embracing his parents on the train platform.

"Thanks for coming so quickly!" She said, letting them go so he could greet them.

"Yeah. Thanks for taking this case Mom, Dad." He said embracing them both tightly.

"Of course we came Jax." His dad said.

Jackson smiled, and let them go, making a grab for their bags. "Let's get you back so you can sleep, then get to work."

"Jax and I have our own house now, and I prepared the guest room for you this morning!" Kira informed them, swatting his father's hand away from the bags Jackson had not picked up, and picking them up herself.

"That's lovely, I'm sure we'll enjoy that tonight, but I wish to get to work as soon as possible." His dad said, wresting the bags back from Kira with a smile as Kira pouted in defeat.

"Yes, there's no time to waste!" His mom said. "That's why we slept on the plane! I just need some coffee for this jet lag and then we can get to work."

They all made their way to the car and got in, his parents already talking strategy, and who from their firm in Los Angeles they would need to bring in for this case.

Jackson looked to Kira and they both grinned as he drove to _Wolf's Run_. Everything was going to be fine, Mom and Dad were here and they would fix it. Damn him and his stupid pride, his parents were the best lawyers in the state.

David and Joanna Whittemore** were going to kick some ass.

* * *

**Part B**

* * *

About a year ago, the FBI started getting anonymous tips from Beacon Hills. The tipsters spoke of cult activity, of murders, of disappearances, of corruption, of endangered children, of violent crimes against a child and more. The tips were so overwhelming that Agent McCall and his team was forced to open an investigation on Derek Hale and his known associates.

**Derek Hale:** His past was filled with stressors associated with the making of a psychopath. His father died when he was six, in a hunting accident. Then, at sixteen, most of his family was killed in a fire. A few years ago it was proven that the fire was arson committed by Kate Argent (an older ex of Hale's) and covered up by multiple individuals in the community. Hale had been sexually abused by Argent, and Argent had killed his family. Rafael would have felt badly for the kid on that alone; but the hits just kept on coming. The only survivors of the Hale Fire were Derek, his two sisters and his Uncle. The Uncle had spent nearly a decade comatose, and Derek and his sisters had moved to New York to start over. Laura Hale flew back and forth between New York and California to look after the family business, and during one of these trips to California she went missing, her body showing up in the woods of Beacon Hills, cut in half. The official report said animal attack, but McCall didn't buy it, someone had killed Laura Hale. He suspected Kate Argent, who moved back nearly around the same time Laura had been found dead. Its unclear when Derek came to town but he was accused of his sister's murder by McCall's son and the Stilinski kid, and became a person of interest in her death until Stilinski cleared him of all charges a month later. It concerned McCall that Scott and Stiles had accused this Derek Hale of murder one week, and only a few weeks later were hanging out at his apartment, helping him build his estate and recruiting new people to join their group. It also concerned him that Kate Argent's death and Peter Hale's missing status happened in the intervening weeks and no one questioned it at all. Had Derek Hale killed the woman who killed his family, after she tried to kill his uncle and succeeded in killing is sister? Did Rafael's own son help Derek in his revenge and was now bound to the man through blackmail?

The case got more interesting when examining Derek Hale's immediate family.

**Cora Hale:** Hale's younger sister, who followed wherever he led. She was not in town for the suspicious events involving Kate Argent, but she did show up around the time that Hale started recruiting. Rafael didn't know if she was unaware of any crimes her brother had committed or if she was just an obedient sister who did what her brother told her. Either way he doubted an interrogation of her would yield any useful information. She was either in the dark or loyal to a fault.

**Peter Hale:** Hale's Uncle was supposedly catatonic before he disappeared from the hospital. Then he shows up eight months ago, seemingly healthy and claiming to be the biological father of Malia Tate. Tate's father had been murdered around the same time Peter had appeared, so the timing was suspect. Had Hale and his uncle killed Marcus Tate? Was Marcus Tate trying to get his child away from Hale and was killed for his trouble? DNA tests confirmed that Peter Hale is Malia Tate's biological father; did Peter kill his paternal competition? There was no evidence against Peter, only suspicion. They barely had enough to arrest Derek last night, McCall wanted to arrest Peter too, he suspected that if this was a cult Peter was Derek's number two and would keep Derek's followers in line while Derek was arrested.

**Malia Tate:** Her mother and sister were killed in a car accident when she was eight and she had lived with her father until she went to college at Hale College. The girl fell in with Hale's cult and soon her father was dead, leaving the cult and the Hale family itself her only family. If McCall had to guess, the girl was trapped in this mess, the only person that could have pulled her from it was dead. McCall intended to help her.

The more McCall and his team complied dossiers of each person associated with Hale, the more they found suspicious. Almost all of them had pasts that made them vulnerable to a man like Derek Hale.

**Vernon Boyd:** Boyd's nine-year-old sister Alicia was kidnapped and murdered when he was twelve. His father had left the family years before, so Boyd was left to take care of his grieving mother. His mother quickly turned to alcohol and drugs to deal with the loss of Alicia. The day of Vernon's graduation from high school, his mother was found dead in an alleyway from a drug overdose. The kid sold what he could, buried his mother and made his way to Beacon Hills for college. He was a smart lonely kid, looking for a place to belong, and Hale found him.

**Braeden Deaton and Marin Morell:** The connection between the Deaton family and the Hale family was mysterious. It seemed to go back generations. Most notably Alan Deaton and Talia Hale were best friends growing up. The tips had reported the local vet Alan Deaton was spotted meeting with Hale and his group around town, until his mysterious death. Alan Deaton's death was still an unsolved case, and McCall didn't know what to make of it. Was it the cult killing a member? Or was it what the Sheriff's report speculated "an killing brought on by fear of a supposed cult in our town" like the Reyes and Tate murders were ruled? Alan's daughter and his younger sister left town after his murder, but recently returned to Beacon Hills, and were living on Hale's Compound. Did Hale threaten them to come back?

**Aiden Jones and Ethan Jones:** There wasn't much on theses kids. They were dropped off at a Los Angeles fire station when they were days old, and taken in by a local family. The local family was associated with a gang. Most of the gang was wiped out when the twins were teens and soon they were the wards of a man named Deucalion. Last year, Deucalion and two of his associates were found dead and the twins were the beneficiaries on the three insurance policies. Did Hale force Aiden and Ethan to kill their guardians in order to join his cult? Or was it the work of the serial killer that was active around the same time: Jennifer Blake?

**Isaac Lahey:** Isaac's mother died under suspicious circumstances when he was still in diapers, and when he was a preteen his older brother was killed overseas. Based on the hospital records of Isaac, his older brother and his mother McCall guessed that Mr. Lahey was beating his entire family for years. At fourteen Isaac's father shot Isaac once in the chest before turning the gun on himself. Fortunately, a neighbor called the police at the gunshot and paramedics were able to save Isaac's life. Unfortunately, after his recovery, Isaac was left at the mercy of the foster care system until he was eighteen. As soon as he graduated high school he left his hometown to take advantage of the academic scholarship that Hale College had offered him. Eventually he found a family in the Hale Cult, and if rumors were true was in a relationship with Rafael's son and a cult member named Allison.

**Daniel Mahealani:** Daniel lived a normal, worry-free life in Beacon Hills with his parents until his senior year of high school. Mahealani had been openly gay to everyone but his family. The rumor is that once a photo of him and his then boyfriend made it on a social media site, many of his family members saw. Within weeks, his parents had moved away from Beacon Hills refusing to take Danny with them and the family had cut him out of their lives. Danny lived with the Whittemore family until college and they paid the tuition that his scholarships did not cover. He joined up with Hale during his first year in college.

**Lydia and Sarah Martin:** Lydia and Sarah Martin were anomalies. There was no family trauma; Sarah's divorce from Lydia's father had been relatively amicable, and had been over for a decade and a half. They were both beautiful, highly intelligent women and it baffled McCall what about the Hale cult drew them in. The only thing he could think of was Lydia's psychotic break after an animal attacked her. Lydia had been involved with the cult since nearly the beginning; Sarah had been an outsider until her romance and wedding to Peter Hale. Now the women were apart of the Hale family, and if Hale was able to make two smart women involve themselves in a cult, then chances are McCall would not get any information from an interrogation with them.

**Scott and Mellissa McCall:** The fact that his wife and son were involved with this cult upset McCall to no end. Scott and Melissa had cut off all contact after the accident and Mellissa divorced him. He hadn't meant to hurt Scott, he had just been drunk, he wanted his family back but Mel and her precious Sheriff had told him to leave town and leave them alone. Now, they needed his help. Maybe if he saved them, they would be grateful and he would get his family back.

**Allison McCall-Lahey:** In the official record she was born Allison Smith, and changed her name to McCall-Lahey around the time her relationship with Scott and Isaac Lahey began. Based on interviews around town, and school records her real name was Allison Argent and the Argents had disowned her for her involvement with two men. Rafael did not know what to make of this girl, was she brainwashed by the cult into leaving the Argent family? Was her involvement with them Derek Hale's final "Fuck You" of revenge to the Argents? Or was it true that her parents disowned her? After all, that scenario was plausible, after finding out his son was in a relationship with two people Rafael almost didn't want to see the boy again.

**Rosalyn Perez:** If this were a cult, then it would be enough to get Ms. Perez in serious trouble with immigration. She was a U.S. citizen, but only recently. Perhaps that would be enough to get Ms. Perez to cooperate with his investigation? He could lie and threaten that he had the power to send her back to Colombia, and that could get him some solid evidence. He didn't love the idea, but he needed testimony if he was going to make these charges stick and based on the photos of how she arrived at the embassy all those years ago and the cartel she informed on, Rosalyn would do anything to not go back.

**The Stilinski's:** Everyone knew the Stilinski's story. Hell, Rafael lived through it with them. He and John used to be friends, back when Rafael could hide his drinking problem. But then Claudia died, and Rafael got angry about how much time Scott and Mel were spending with John… and the rest is history. Needless to say Stiles and John did not like him, yet frustratingly enough everyone in town loved them. It had been nearly impossible to get some of the Sheriff's deputies to help serve the warrant on the Hale Property, betraying their sheriff. Rafael would be lying if he said he didn't get some smug satisfaction from serving John the suspension paperwork. The man and his son had stolen his wife and child from him and were now playing happy families with them and some orphans.

**Jackson Whittemore and** **Kira Yukimura:** McCall did not understand why these two were in the cult at all. They both had both parents alive and well, and both families seemed to be upstanding people. They were the only couple in the cult who frequently left Beacon Hills, so McCall figured their tie to the cult was based on the safety of their friends (Kira was close with Malia Tate and Jackson was Danny Mahealani's best friend) rather than devotion to whatever Derek Hale preached. Perhaps if he could promise the safety of their friends Jackson and Kira would provide testimony?

After days of surveillance, McCall was convinced that there was something not right with this group of people. Based on the closeness of the Derek Hale's followers and the suspicious activity happening around Beacon Hills, Rafael began to think that the anonymous tips had merit. So last night, he served the warrant, arrested Hale and tore apart their freaky little compound. Today he would interview them all and he would finally get the solid evidence for arresting Hale he needed. Rafael had served a warrant granted by a sympathetic judge who was willing to take all their circumstantial evidence into account. But if he didn't find some concrete evidence soon on Derek Hale, the monster would walk free.

* * *

If you had asked him last night, Agent Rafael McCall would have told you he had an open and shut case on his hands. A case that would put a cult leader in jail for a long time, that had evidence that would convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt: putting Derek Hale away was the right thing. Now that he stood in front of the evidence wall and looked at it all at once, he wasn't so sure that he'd get a conviction. He was sure of Hale's guilt still and sure he wanted to take him down, but the evidence he was sure he had kept disappearing.

As he spent the day interviewing the adult cult members, his team interviewed townspeople about what they have seen. The town seemed divided on if Hale was running a cult or not. The problem was that 70% of people interviewed thought they were all kind, friendly people that happened to be close friends; that the town gossips had exacerbated the issue. Some admitting that yes, living on that estate together was a bit odd, but it didn't make them criminals, and was understandable the way they were treated by some people in town.

There wasn't much Rafael could do about most of Hale's followers. He had brought them all in for questioning, and made all the threats and promises in the world to them to get them to talk. Aside from a sarcastic comment from both Stilinski's and a few eye rolls he had nothing to go on. Their damned lawyers had exposed all of his threats as empty ones, and after that he had nothing to compel them to talk. In the end they were all adults when they joined up with Hale. He couldn't force them to talk.

But Hale had made a mistake. At the end of January, he recruited his first underage member, Erica Reyes. And suddenly weeks after she's first spotted with members of the cult her parents went up in flames. All recent signs and surveillance showed that Hale was in a relationship with Reyes. Had Hale killed her parents to get her to start sleeping with him? If McCall could prove that, he could put Hale away for murder and/or statutory rape.

There were also four children that recently were adopted by cult members. If he could interview them maybe they would let something important slip. He could get Hale on endangering the welfare of a child. The children would go into foster care, and their adoptive/foster parents would get some jail time…and that was sort of regretful. But seeing Derek Hale in prison and getting Mel away from Stilinski were more important than anything. The bust of an actual cult would finally give him that promotion he needed, and if Mel went to jail for a bit maybe she would see that he had done it to protect her and Scott from a cult and she would come back to him.

From the conference room, he could into the holding cell area where Hale was staying until his hearing tomorrow afternoon. After seeing how worse for wear Hale was this morning, Rafael had felt victorious. But now Hale looked serene after talking to his lawyers and watching Rafael glare at the evidence board when he wasn't interviewing cult members. The bastard knew that there was a chance he would walk.

He needed to interview Ms. Reyes and the children. They were his last hopes of getting any solid evidence against Derek Hale.

"Lisa, is Ms. Reyes in the interview room?"

"Yes Agent McCall."

The look Derek Hale sent him worried him. If Erica Reyes held the key to his destruction why did he have a smile on his face when he heard she was being interviewed?

* * *

The interview with Erica Reyes and her attorneys was horrible. She gave him nothing, and kept insisting that Derek never took advantage of her, that everything they did was consensual, that it was none of his business but they didn't have sex until a month and a half after she turned eighteen. Then her attorney read him the riot act. How his investigation had no evidence, how the search he had conducted last night was overly invasive and illegal, that he had traumatized children, that he had a major conflict of interest and that they would be airing all of these grievances in front of a judge.

Had he mentioned that Joanna and David Whittemore were representing the cult? Suddenly it dawned on him that Jackson Whittemore's empty threat about having his badge wasn't so empty after all. They were right, no federal prosecutor could try this case with the hasty way he handled it, and his vested interest in seeing Hale go down for this, especially with there only being circumstantial evidence against Hale. The Whittemore's would tear the case apart.

He was in deep shit.

"Now if you would please bring our client Mr. Hale in from his cell? Judge Greenberg has granted a supervised visit between him and Ms. Reyes." David Whittemore said. "I trust there will be no more interviews today."

"I wanted to interview the children." McCall said. "Why would any judge allow a cult leader to see one of his victims?"

"Suspected cult leader Agent McCall." Joanna Whittemore said. "So far you have yet to prove this group of individuals participates in any kind of activity indicative of cult behavior. As far as the judge is concerned, you misrepresented evidence to her colleague yesterday to get your warrant just to harass your ex-wife's friends and family."

Rafael sputtered, how in the hell did they get Judge Greenberg* to buy their bullshit? There was a reason he requested Eva Greenberg to preside over this case until he was able to get his day in federal court. She was the most un-corruptible person he had met, and the most respected judge in Beacon County. How had they gotten to her? Did they threaten her family? Was it too late to request a different judge for Hale's hearing tomorrow and Stilinski's on Monday?

"As for the children," David Whittemore said, "Their parents request that another Agent lead the questioning as they are uncomfortable with you."

McCall glared at him. "Fine. Reyes and Hale can talk, I'll find my partner and she can interview the children."

The Whittemores smiled. "Fantastic." David said, standing up and gathering his things. "I'll go tell the Stilinskis and the Hales the news while Joanna supervises the visit. Remember Erica, only five minutes."

"I won't need long." Ms. Reyes said. "I just need to see that he's okay for myself."

McCall ordered a deputy to bring Hale to the interrogation room and he went in search of his partner. She had been keeping her distance from this case as she was against it, she kept telling him that he had been going to fast and had no evidence. She even refused to help serve the warrant and interview the cult members. He kept insisting she would feel differently if her family (she had a brother and a nephew living in town) was involved in a freaky cult. She simply laughed at him.

"Agent." He said, finally finding her outside the police station. "I need you to run point on the interview of the cult's children."

Catlyn King* rolled her eyes and put out her cigarette. "You traumatized them last night and you'd figured I should get a crack tonight? Rafe, when are you going to get that there is nothing illegal going on here?"

"There's something going on Cat, this entire case doesn't feel right. I'm missing something."

"Yeah, you are missing something Rafe. But not because there is something illegal, but because you're too drunk to use your brain and see." Cat sighed and walked into the station, "I'll few ready in a few minutes."

Rafael McCall wasn't surprised at his partner's tone. They worked well together, but they never got along outside of work. She hated his drinking and he hated that he had a female partner. But, the way McCall saw it; he only had to work with her until he got promoted.

He made his way into the room where he could observe Reyes and Hale's chat. It wasn't a privileged attorney client meeting so he could listen in all he wanted. The trouble was, they weren't saying anything. They were sitting across the table, holding hands. Their lips were moving but no sound was coming out.

Something about observing the pair unsettled McCall. But seeing the two of them together frightened some primal part of him. His instincts screamed for him to run, he felt that these two people were dangerous if he got too close. And he swore he saw both their eyes change color as they whispered to each other.

He shook it all off, he was seeing things. Maybe Cat was right; his drinking was affecting his abilities on this case. When the interviews were over tonight he resolved to go to the hotel and sober up before the hearing tomorrow.

"Sorry you two," Joanna Whittemore said, "Time's up. Derek, David will see you at your hearing. I would be there, but it seems the FBI are not through with their interviews just yet and your hearing was moved to today at five. Judge Greenberg didn't see sense in coming in on a Saturday or having you wait until Monday. So in a few more hours we'll know if you can go home tomorrow or not."

McCall left the observation room and made his way to the conference room in anger. He saw Cat ordering a few junior agents around and prepping for her interviews. "Why did no one tell me that the Judge changed Hale's hearing date and time?" he yelled at the junior agents.

"We gave you a note while you were interviewing your son, sir." Agent Turner said, as she went to rummage through his things, eventually handing him a post it note. "Here it is, you placed it under the folder."

_**Judge** **G changed Hale hearing to today at 5.** _

"Rafael, people don't interrupt interviews with non-vital information." Cat said, picking up her notes and heading to the interview room. "Stay here and drink some coffee, you reek of alcohol and you have to be in front of a judge in an hour." She whispered to him as she passed him.

This day was not going the way he had planned. At all.

"Excuse me sir." Agent Crabbe said before following Turner and King out. "There's a man here, to see you. He says his name is Henry Maxwell** and he's with Child Protective Services."

McCall was confused, he hadn't called in CPS, he didn't have anything to give them yet. "Send him in please.

* * *

* * *

* * *

**The Hale Pack**

**The Hale Family**

**Derek Hale (28 y/o):** CEO Of Hale Holdings, Board Member Of Hale College, Alpha (Born) Wolf, Hale Wolf, Mate OfErica Reyes, Brother Of Cora Hale, Cousin Of Malia Tate, Adoptive Cousin of Raul and Diego Hale, Nephew Of Peter Hale

**Peter Hale (45 y/o):** CFO Of Hale Holdings, Beta (Born) Wolf, Husband/Mate Of Sarah Martin-Hale, Father Of Malia Tate, Step-Father Of Lydia Martin, Adoptive Father of Raul and Diego Hale, Uncle Of Derek Hale and Cora Hale

**Cora Hale (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Hale Wolf, Mate Of "Stiles" Stilinski, Sister Of Derek Hale, Cousin Of Malia Tate, Adoptive Cousin of Raul and Diego Hale, Niece Of Peter Hale

**Malia Tate (20 y/o):** Sophomore At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Hale Wolf, Mate Of Vernon Boyd, Daughter Of Peter Hale, Cousin Of Derek and Cora Hale, Step-Daughter Of Sarah Martin-Hale, Step-Sister Of Lydia Martin, Adoptive Sister of Raul and Diego Hale

**Sarah Martin-Hale (45 y/o):** History Teacher At BHHS,Banshee, Wife/Mate Of Peter Hale, Mother Of Lydia Martin, Step-Mother Of Malia Tate, Adoptive Mother of Raul and Diego Hale

**Lydia Martin (22 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Banshee, Mate Of Aiden Jones, Daughter Of Sarah Martin-Hale, Step-Daughter Of Peter Hale, Step-Sister Of Malia Tate, Adoptive Sister of Raul and Diego Hale

**Diego Hale (8 y/o):** Student at Beacon Hills Elementary, Beta (Born) Wolf, Brother of Raul Hale, Adopted Son of Peter Hale and Sarah Martin-Hale, Adopted Brother of Lydia Martin and Malia Tate

**Raul Hale (10 y/o):** Student at Beacon Hills Elementary, Beta (Born) Wolf, Brother of Diego Hale, Adopted Son of Peter Hale and Sarah Martin-Hale, Adopted Brother of Lydia Martin and Malia Tate

**The McCall-Stilinski Family**

**Melissa McCall (46 y/o):** Nurse, Human, Wife Of John Stilinksi, Mother Of Scott McCall, Step-Mother Of "Stiles" Stilinski, Adoptive Mother of Juliet and Connor McCall-Stilinski

**John Stilinksi (48 y/o):** Sheriff, Human, Husband Of Mellissa McCall, Father Of "Stiles" Stilinski, Step-Father Of Scott McCall, Adoptive Father of Juliet and Connor McCall-Stilinski

**Scott McCall (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Allison McCall-Lahey and Isaac Lahey, Son Of Mellissa McCall, Step-Son Of John Stilinksi, Step-Brother Of "Stiles" Stilinski, Adoptive Brother of Juliet and Connor McCall-Stilinski

**? "** ** _Stiles"_** **Stlinski (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Cora Hale, Son Of John Stilinski, Step-Son Of Mellissa McCall, Step-Brother Of Scott McCall, Adoptive Brother of Juliet and Connor McCall-Stilinski

**Juliet McCall-Stilinski (5 y/o):** Kindergarten Student at Beacon Hills Elementary, Beta (Born) Wolf (unable to shift to wolf form), Seer, Half-Sister of Connor McCall- Stilinski, Adopted Daughter of John Stilinski and Melissa McCall, Adopted Sister of Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall

**Connor McCall-Stilinski (2.5 y/o):** Preschool Student at Beacon Hills Elementary, Beta (Born) Wolf (unable to shift to wolf form). Half-Brother of Juliet McCall- Stilinski, Adopted Son of John Stilinski and Melissa McCall, Adopted Brother of Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall

**Other Hale Pack Members**

**Vernon Boyd (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Malia Tate

**Braeden Deaton (18 y/o):** First Year At Hale College, Druid, Emissary To The Hale Pack, Mate Of Rosalyn Perez, Daughter Of Dr. Alan Deaton, Niece Of Marin Morell

**Aiden Jones (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Mate Of Lydia Martin, Brother Of Ethan Jones

**Ethan Jones (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Born) Wolf, Mate Of Daniel Mahealani, Brother Of Aiden Jones

**Isaac Lahey (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Scott McCall and Allison McCall-Lahey

**Daniel "Danny" Mahealani (20 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Ethan Jones

**Marin Morell (34 y/o):** Guidance Counselor at Beacon Hills Elementary, Druid, Emissary To The Hale Pack, Sister Of Dr. Alan Deaton, Aunt Of Braeden Deaton

**Allison McCall-Lahey (22 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Former Argent Hunter, Mate Of Scott McCall and Isaac Lahey

**Rosalyn Perez (22 y/o):** Pre-K Teacher at Beacon Hills Elementary, Beta (Born) Wolf, Former Omega, Mate Of Braeden Deaton

**Erica Reyes (18 y/o):** First Year At Hale College, Alpha (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Derek Hale

**Jackson Whittemore (21 y/o):** Junior At Hale College, Beta (Bitten) Wolf, Mate Of Kira Yukimura

**Kira Yukimura (19 y/o):** Sophomore At Hale College, Half-Kitsune (Thunder), Mate Of Jackson Whittemore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes Part A:
> 
> *Reminder: Isaac is in a relationship with both Allison and Scott. When he says his "favorite in-laws" he means Melissa, John, Juliet and Connor (AKA the McCall Stilinski's) and when he says "least favorite in-laws" he means The Argents.
> 
> ** the Teen Wolf Wikia say that Jackson's dad is named David, but give no name for his mom, so I gave her one.
> 
> Footnotes Part B:
> 
> * Greenberg and King families have both been mentioned before as being supernatural. Greenberg's are fae and Kings are were-cats.
> 
> ** yeah, same Maxwell thats after Julie.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Death and Gore in chapter 12+…I rated this M for a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

Erica was an alpha, and her animal and human instincts were one. Typically, when not at home, she let her human instincts run the show; it just wouldn't make sense to howl or flash her eyes every time she felt a strong emotion in public. But this morning, The Alpha instinct in Erica had taken over, and refused to relinquish control until now.

She had been glad her animal instincts had taken over; her human instincts wouldn't have been able to prioritize and give orders to her panicking and worried pack. She was able to see that if she didn't start ordering them, their concern for Derek and fear for the packs safety might have them losing control of their shifts. She wouldn't have been able to keep them all together today, deal with the Argents, and help everyone through the stress of the FBI and their questions with her human instincts alone. The alpha instinct had been entirely focused on the packs safety and stability, and didn't have time to worry about Derek's fate; she was able to see that the Whittemores had it handled and she could only make sure that their pack was whole when her mate returned.

If Erica had to explain Joanna and David Whittemore to another wolf she would say that they were a human alpha-pair. They took over Derek's case, the Sheriff's case and sat with the pack as they were interviewed without breaking stride. They were on top of everything. In just a day they thwarted the FBI's lies, got a judge to give Derek an early hearing, and had started a petition in town to keep the Sheriff in office. Erica was glad that they had come so quickly after Jackson called.

Mrs. Whittemore was still at the police station supervising the interviews of the pups with their parents. She felt fear and worry through the pack bond, but sensed no immediate danger, and brushed it off as the stress from the day. Right now she was in court watching Mr. Whittemore tear apart Agent McCall's case, and Agent McCall yelling accusations in return. She was the only spectator present in the courtroom the other people present were Derek, Mr. Whittemore, the judge, McCall and the two deputies that brought her mate over from the Sheriff's station (and did not smell human).

"Agent McCall, you have no evidence other than hearsay and speculation against Mr. Hale. This arrest was unlawful. I must insist that he be released. Then, I must implore you to speak with your superiors and a team of prosecutors before pursuing any further action against Mr. Hale or his associates. I'll be writing to your superiors tonight about how you've been conducting yourself in my town." The Judge said

"Your honor, please." McCall begged, "I may have messed this up, and understand if you have to release Hale, but at least let CPS do their job. Those children may be in danger."

Erica glared at McCall, then to Mr. Whittemore. Child Protective Services had been called and were taking her betas? Is that the worry and fear she sensed from them and their parents?

"Your honor, I spoke with CPS, this morning." Mr. Whittemore said. "I explained the situation and that the person arrested was not the children's guardian. They agreed to see how this investigation proceeds in the next few days before making a decision to remove the children from the home, but told me that unless the FBI had found evidence of abuse, they would not be removing the children. No evidence has been found. I have no clue what the Agent is taking about."

"Yes, Mr. Whittemore. I myself had a similar conversation with Child Services today after I saw how incomplete the FBI's investigation was." The judge said. "They said that they would not be sending anyone for the children. Agent who are you speaking of?"

McCall looked proud of himself. "A Mr. Maxwell, of CPS is at the station now, ready to take the children away after the interviewing process."

Erica's blood ran cold and her eyes turned red, she saw Derek shake and felt his low growl. They were both pissed and didn't care who saw them fighting off a shift. But since everyone in the courtroom (besides McCall) knew about the supernatural and the threat Henry Maxwell posed, exposure was the least of her concerns.

The Judge started letting off a gold glow at Maxwell's name. "Agent McCall." She said as if she were talking to a child. "Did it not occur to you that this man might not be who he said he was? Did you bother looking at his credentials before telling him he could take the children away from their parents?"

"No." McCall admitted.

"Deputies, please take Mr. Hale back to his cell and begin the paperwork for his release." She ordered. "Please let interim-Sheriff Parrish and whichever FBI agent is in charge that I am on my way and those children are not to leave that station."

The deputies nodded and took Derek away. It peeved her that he was still in shackles, but she knew he would be home soon. Now she had bigger concerns. Maxwell was at the station and was going to try to take her betas. She hoped that Parrish and the FBI Agent weren't stupid enough to have let him take her betas without checking his credentials.

* * *

Erica and Mr. Whittemore arrived back at the station just after Judge Greenberg and Agent McCall had. Erica let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the pups were in the Sheriff's office, clinging to their parents. They all looked upset but at least they were together.

" _Judge_ ," Erica heard a female agent say, " _The man refused to give his credentials and I did not want to let him leave with the children…_ "

"Where is he?" Judge Greenberg asked, "I doubt a man like him would leave quietly."

"He didn't," Deputy Parrish said, "He kept insisting and when it became clear we weren't buying it he lunged for Connor Stilinski…"

Erica growled and approached the judge, the agent and the deputy. "and why isn't he locked up?"

"As he lunged for the child, I jumped in front of him…I may have been running on inhuman instincts at the time and that may have caused my eyes to change. When he saw that, he stopped smiled and left quietly. I'm Agent Catlyn King by the way," she said holding out her hand for Erica to shake. "A pleasure to meet you Alpha Reyes."

Erica shook the woman's hand and sniffed the air…were-cougar. "Bill King's aunt?"

The woman nodded.

"And he knows you are a were-cat?" Erica whispered.

"He knows she's not a wolf." Judge Greenberg said, "That might be enough for him."

"It would explain why he left with a smile on his face." Deputy Parrish said, mirroring everyone else's low tone. "He might have caught onto our town secret."

"There isn't much to do now but find him before he finds us, I'll be taking time off and staying in town until this guy is caught." Agent King said. "You can take your betas home now Alpha Reyes. I'll bring your mate home once his release has been finalized."

"He has something up his sleeve Alpha Reyes." Judge Greenberg said "Watch out. I'll notify The Council of his arrival as soon as possible. Make sure everyone is on alert."

Erica nodded, and headed home with her pack members. She would feel much better when the pack was safe at home.

* * *

That night, Wolf's Run was on lockdown. The Hale Pack was sleeping in a puppy pile in the theater room. They were content, having soothed any frayed nerves that the day had given them simply by being together. They slept knowing they were safe, their alpha-female was watching over them and their alpha-male would be home soon.

Erica didn't sleep; she spent the night in the control room, watching the security cameras for any signs of Maxwell. She couldn't sleep knowing he was out there and had the sick feeling whatever he had planned would not only harm her pack, but her town. Erica didn't enjoy killing, but she had killed before and she knew that she would have to kill again to protect her pack and home. Maxwell needed to be stopped.

At 7 am a sedan pulled up to the gate, and Erica immediately unlocked the gate upon seeing who was in the passenger seat. By the time she made it to the front porch, the vehicle was nearing the house. Derek didn't wait for Agent King to stop the car; he jumped out and ran straight for her and pulling her into a hug.

She was vaguely aware of her pack waking up and coming outside, of her lieutenants thanking the agent for bring home Derek and the agent leaving. Her and Derek were too wrapped up in being together again. Erica didn't want to let him go, and she had the feeling he didn't want to let her go either.

"You two get some sleep." Cora said, handing Erica's phone to Allison so she could lock the property up. "Puppy was up all night watching over us and I doubt you got any rest in a jail cell Der-Bear."

"Yeah, we have it handled." Allison said.

Erica stared at her mate, sensing his sleep-deprived state and this barely reigned in alpha instincts. "Let's go to our room." She said pulling him towards the house. "Everyone behave today." She ordered the pack.

"For the love of God, make sure Derek showers." Malia yelled after them. "He stinks."

Erica rolled her eyes and made her way up the stairs with her mate.

After an hour of showering together and clinging to each other for dear life, Erica and Derek climbed into bed.

"Missed you."

"Missed you too."

"I'm proud of you. You did a great job keeping our pack together." Derek said, as he closed his eyes to sleep. "Part of me wishes I was there to see you take the Argents down a peg or two."

"I'm sure your sister or her mate are having a DVD made of the security footage in their free time. You can see it later." She sighed, "We need sleep now."

"Yes, Alpha." He said with a grin.

She laughed at the remark and finally closed her eyes. "Derek? Don't get arrested again okay?"

He pulled her to him and held her close. "I'll do my best Erica."

* * *

The weekend went by in a blissful, uneventful blur. It was almost suspicious how uneventful it had been. It seemed like an ordinary weekend, the only difference being that The Whittemore's were their guests.

On Sunday night it was decided that everyone would resume their normal routines, but be sure to use the buddy-system since they did not know what threat Maxwell posed. They couldn't let a bogus FBI investigation and a madman stop their lives… Three of the pups started school this week, but would be safe with Marin and Rosalyn in the same building. Derek and Peter needed to go to work and clean up any damage that Derek's arrest had caused. John and The Whittemore's had an early hearing scheduled, and afterward the Whittemores had more work to do regarding the FBI investigation of the pack.

The only problem that going about their routines was that Connor was too young to go to school with the other pups. Melissa and John had planned on putting her youngest in daycare at the hospital while Melissa was on shift, but since Connor was the pup that Maxwell showed interest in at the police station she was reluctant to leave her son alone while she worked. Especially after Juliet confirmed their fears and cried that "The bad man thinks that my baby brother has the gift, not me!". Erica decided that she would skip out on going to lectures for a few days so someone could watch him all day.

So while the typical chaos of the pack preparing for the day went on upstairs, Connor and Erica spent their time curled up on the sofa watching cartoons and eating breakfast. And after the pack was gone for the day, Erica and her youngest beta took advantage of the fact and played on the playground. They played for a few hours, until she got a text from the Sheriff saying he was officially the Sheriff again, and he was going back to work. They celebrated by making some lunch during which Connor passed out at the table.

Connor had insisted that they needed to leave the house after lunch and his naptime, so that's what they did. Erica imagined that Connor had something more fun than the grocery store in mind when he suggested they do something, but she stressed the importance of a fully stocked cupboard…saying they had to be prepared for lockdown at any second while 'the bad man' was still out there. The tiny beta was resigned to this fate once he realized Erica didn't mind the fact his preference for being carried everywhere.

She and Connor finished their shopping relatively quick, and were in the parking lot. Erica was loading the trunk of one of the pack's SUV's with their purchases. Connor was directing her where to put things while jumping up and down on the backseat. She was regretting giving the child candy when she heard a car stop abruptly behind her.

She was in defensive mode when she turned around, half expecting it to be Maxwell and his men. Instead she saw Agent King, jogging around her car with tears rolling down her face.

"Alpha Reyes," The woman said stopping in front of her. "My son and nephew went out for ice-cream last night and never came back…I think Maxwell took them. Please help me find them, Richie is barely seven and he can't control his shifts when scared. Maxwell will strip him for parts if he knows he is a were-cat." The woman sobbed.

Erica hugged the woman for a moment and settled her into a seated position on the lift-gate of the SUV, before taking out her cell phone and dialing. While waiting for the Sheriff to pick up, Erica tried to determine what this madman Maxwell was thinking. Why take Bill King and his young cousin? Revenge for Agent King protecting Connor? Or had he figured out that there was more in this town beside werewolves and Seers?

Erica had a sinking suspicion it was option two, and the thought made her sick. Option two meant that more people would go missing and the Sheriff's Department would start finding dead bodies soon.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please heed the M rating on this story. Lots of violence, death and other mature themes to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

Mass panic swept through the community; humans and supernatural creatures were all afraid to leave their homes and the Sheriff's department was at a loss of what to do.

It had taken a few hours for news of the abductions to leak outside of the police force. Besides Bill and Richie King, eight other people had gone missing over the weekend; two of those missing people were children. Ten people in total had vanished into thin air and that scared the living daylights out of everyone.

The sheriff was forced to make some tough decisions on his first day back in office, and one of those decisions would change Beacon Hills forever. Without first asking permission from his alphas, the sheriff decided that he didn't want his deputies or the FBI agents that stayed behind to be in the dark about what they were up against. So he told them that Beacon Hills is a supernatural hotspot, and most of its citizens were supernatural in some way. His non-human deputies showcased their abilities for their comrades to illustrate his point.

Erica and Derek had been furious when they found out. But it seemed that the sheriff's people were fiercely loyal to him and were keeping the revelation in-house. They knew it would leak to the rest of the community soon, so they had Peter bring the news to an emergency Council meeting to see if the Druids could keep the knowledge of supernatural beings from spreading beyond Beacon Hills. But a much bigger revelation took precedence.

The Council confirmed that every single missing person was a supernatural creature. They begged for the Hale Pack's help in recovering the missing and bringing Maxwell to justice.

The pack was already on the case. John's blabbermouth had been a blessing in disguise, because the pack could work openly with the police now that they weren't suspected of being a cult, and John didn't have to make up stories to his deputies. Now that everyone knew the truth; that there were creatures that called this town home and a pack of werewolves had protected it for generations…the police were more trusting. Having herself and her mate in the station's conference room debriefing the task force was not unusual.

"Ms.- I mean Alpha Reyes…" A young deputy asked. "Should we be concerned that the Argent's have disappeared?"

"Call me Erica." Erica said. "And as for the Argents, I told them to leave town if they weren't going to help take down Maxwell. I don't think we need to worry about them."

"Maxwell is the priority. He will dissect, kill, torture or sell the people he has kidnapped." Derek said. "And he will not hesitate to kill someone who gets in his way…human or not."

Judge Greenberg entered the room at that point. "This town has been a haven for peaceful supernatural creatures since it was founded. Humans and the gifted have lived in harmony for generations. I would not be surprised if Henry Maxwell and his hunters found this notion offensive and decided to kill the whole town."

The deputies and agents in the room gasped at the judge's statement.

"I know some of you are thinking that this is not your problem…that you are not a freak" John said. "But this is our town being threatened, our way of life. And the Hale Pack can't be expected to do it on their own without the support of the community."

"No sheriff." Another deputy spoke up. "This is our town. We will help defend it. We can't keep turning a blind eye to the things that don't make sense anymore. We've all seen things that cant be explained. Now we know, and we want to help."

Most of the room shouted in agreement.

"Okay then." John said. "Derek and Erica are going to have their wolves run through the preserve, looking for clues…or god forbid bodies. I'm splitting up the rest of you into three teams. Team one will be lead by Agent King, and will be focused on tracking Maxwell and his whereabouts…there has got to be something we are missing. Team two, will be lead by Parrish, I need you all to canvas, flashing Maxwell's picture and asking about the missing people. Team three is with me, Erica and Derek. We will be out at the preserve providing security for the wolves, and at the ready if they find something."

"How will we know if they found something?" a third deputy asked.

"We can communicate across distance by howling. Derek and I will stay with team three to translate what the pack is doing." Erica explained.

Everyone nodded and started breaking up into their teams. Erica texted Allison and Cora to make sure everything was all set. At Erica and Derek's signal, the pack would break off into pairs and start a search of the preserve. The non-wolves and the pups of the pack would stay at  _Wolf's Ru_ n, locked in, as most of them were they type of creatures that Maxwell would like to get his hands on.

Erica made her way to the Sheriff's cruiser with Derek, and before they hopped in they howled in unison.

_Go._

* * *

They were waiting an hour, and so far nothing. Erica was glad. No bodies meant there was still time to find everyone alive and well.

"What ever happened to McCall?" Erica asked.

"When I was telling everyone about the supernatural this morning he passed out and smacked his head on the brick wall." John said with a grin. "He won't be a problem for awhile. I have to say that was the best part of my day."

Derek snorted, and Erica slapped him on the arm. "Is he okay?"

"Just a concussion. He's being babied at the hospital. Man could use some time to sober up, he reeked of whiskey." John said. "I don't think Joanna and David will be needed when this is over. Spilling our secret, kind of makes the FBI's investigation worthless."

Erica glared at the older man. "I know where your son gets his disregard for authority and rules from."

"Worthless investigation or not, I'd feel more comfortable if they stayed and officially put this to bed. I don't want our secret spreading beyond town." Derek said. "And I really don't want to be put in another cell."

"Amen." Erica agreed.

"The druids can contain the secret, Marin told me it's not a big deal. Other towns have done it before." John said waiving his hand. "It needed to be done, I couldn't have my people flying blind anymore or thinking I was apart of a devil worshiping cult."

"You asked Marin before you asked us?" Erica said in disbelief, if he were a wolf she'd see this as a challenge to her and Derek's authority as alphas, but since he was human she saw it for what it was; John thought he was doing what was best for the pack.

" _Agent King To Sheriff Stilinski…"_  came over the radio.

"Agent King, you should really go home and wait for some news. Everyone would understand." The Sheriff said.

" _I have to do something. We're tracking a few credit cards used at a gas station in the next town over…we're getting close. Have you found a body?"_

"No." John said. "And you have to assume your boy and nephew are alive, don't give up hope."

" _Richie is too inexperienced. He can't control his shifts. And Bill is selfish; he won't protect Richie if he can save himself. My son is dead. I just want to kill the bastard that killed him."_

Erica's heart broke for the woman, for all the people in town with missing loved ones. Everyone supernatural knew what Maxwell was, and knew that being killed was the best option if he got his hands on you. Erica held out hope they were all still alive, that Maxwell was just using them as bait to get his Seer. Erica would kill him before he got his hands on her betas, but knew that his desire to get his hands on the pups would be what got him caught.

She didn't have time to stew in her thoughts any longer before Jackson started howling.

_Found a body._

_Make that two._ Allison added.

"They found two bodies." Derek told the sheriff and his deputies. "They're over by the river, near the entrance of the preserve."

"Okay. We will drive over." Sheriff said, "You two please tell them not to touch anything."

Erica and Derek nodded and ran across the preserve to their betas. When they arrived they saw Allison, Rosalyn kneeling by the tree line and Jackson and Danny kneeling by the riverbed. All four betas were in tears and growling.

Erica approached where Allison and Rose were kneeling and began crying at the sight. It was a child, but the body was too badly beaten to identify her face. Her heart had been removed and her other organs were pouring from her tiny torso. Erica had to look away from the gruesome sight and walked towards Jackson and Danny. This body she could identify, the heart was missing on this body but the face hadn't been mangled.

"Go home." Erica ordered. "Get everyone back home now."

Her betas obeyed. As soon as they left she ran a few feet from the bodies and threw up.

Derek kneeled next to her and pulled her into a hug. "I went to school with Tanya. How did you know her?" he said.

"She used to babysit me, lived across the street from my parents house. Her parents still live there." Erica whispered. "She still lived with them until a year ago, when she had saved enough for her own place. I used to watch her daughter Faye for her. Tanya used to joke that it was the circle of life and Faye would probably grow up to babysit my kids…Faye will never grow up Derek. Did you see what they did to her little body? How could they do that?"

Derek didn't have an answer for her. So she kept talking. "According to The Council. Tanya and Faye Young are apart of a peaceful nature-fae family. They helped the plants in town thrive. They didn't deserve this…horrible, violent end."

"No one deserves this Erica." He said. "By the looks of it they tortured Faye to get to Tanya, then they simply killed her. This is sport to them. They don't see us as people."

"We have to save the others Der," Erica said her tears drying and her anger taking control. "We have to stop these monsters before they hurt anyone else in our town."

Before Derek could respond the Sheriff and his deputies arrived with the coroners van. As the Sheriff's people got to work collecting evidence, Erica and Derek started walking away from the scene.

Agent King sprang from one of the vehicles and grabbed a hold of Erica. The women had been crying and looked pleadingly at Erica. "Is it Richie? Or Billie?'

"No. But one of them is a child. I wouldn't recommend looking Agent King." Erica warned.

"You have to find them." Agent King said. "I know they are probably dead, but I want to make this guy pay and I want to let my son rest in peace."

"We will find them." Erica promised, "We will make Maxwell pay."

With that she and Derek shifted and ran towards  _Wolf's Run,_ needing to make sure their pack was safe after seeing what they had just seen.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please heed the M rating on this story. Lots of violence, death and other mature themes to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

The next morning Derek and Erica ordered their pack to resume their normal routines while they assisted the sheriff's department. The Whittemores volunteered to stay at  _Wolf's Run_  and watch Connor while everyone went about their days. Erica and her mate weren't at the station long before more bodies were found.

The bodies of Miguel and Amelia Vasquez were discarded on the side of the road just outside of town in the early morning. They showed signs having endured intense torture; they were bruised and beaten, their fingernails, toenails, and some of their teeth had been ripped out and Amelia's lower abdomen had been cut open and dissected.

"Alpha Hale." The coroner asked. "Is anything missing from her body?"

Derek sniffed the air. "No."

"Then why open her up?" The sheriff asked.

Derek gave Erica a sympathetic look before turning to answer the man. "According to The Council, Miguel and Amelia are were-coyote mates. Were-coyotes are an extremely rare genetic mutation from were-wolf bloodlines. Male coyotes are far more common than females. Most female weres have a different internal anatomy then their human counterparts. I imagine that Amelia was the first female were-coyote Maxwell had encountered, and he dissected her for research purposes."

"Her cause of death is obvious," the coroner said. "The blood loss, they opened her up while she was still alive. I just don't understand the missing nails and teeth or what killed the male. The torture was severe, but I don't see a death blow."

"The teeth and nails are gone because he took their claws and fangs." Erica said in disgust and disbelief. "Derek, are coyote mate-bonds similar to ours?"

Her mate's look got darker and he nodded.

"When you died, and I thought we couldn't bring you back…I wanted to die too. The only thing that kept me alive was that our pack needed me… Do you think that's what happened to Miguel?"

"Yes." Derek said. "They were mated for twenty years, and had no children. There would have been nothing keeping Miguel from following her to the grave once their bond broke."

Erica felt like her heart had stopped. Was this her fate? Dying a violent, bloody death while her mate watches and he dies from a broken heart?

"Are you saying that its possible for supernaturals to die from a broken heart?" the coroner asked.

"Not all of us. But a few species of us mate for life. Once you find 'the one', there is no other one after that…except for the rare cases of Triad mate-bonds…" Derek told the man, before walking over toward her. "I think Erica and I are going to head back to the station. Seeing a dead mated pair in this state isn't sitting well with us."

Erica didn't say a word as they walked to Derek's car and drove away from the scene. Seeing a dead mother and child, people she knew, was enough to give her nightmares last night but this was something else entirely. When Erica looked at the bodies of the Vasquez's she slowly began to see herself and Derek instead of Miguel and Amelia. It was a strong possibility that the conflict with Maxwell could end with her and her mate dead. And if this conflict didn't kill them the next one could. The Hale Pack's duty to Beacon Hills was to protect it from threats. Would there always be something that their pack had to face that could end in their deaths?

"Derek, when you were growing up, how many times did the pack have to face an enemy?" She asked.

"Not often. No one was willing to test my mother's rule. There were a few rouge packs, but those situations were easily talked down… and then there was the time hunters killed my dad and some family members… but it was never like these past few year have been." He sighed. "Beacon Hills and the nematon haven't been guarded by a strong established pack since the fire, we're still a new pack, we don't have a reputation yet. But once we do, there will be less fighting; especially now that people know about the town secret and won't ignore and brush off things. Evil tends to attack populations that are ignorant and unprotected. This town is neither anymore."

"So, there's a chance that we wont end up like that?" She said softly, "That our pack and any children we have wont have to see us tortured to death?"

"There will always be something, but once we have a reputation the risk of dying bloody will be less. But I can't guarantee it wont happen."

Say what you want about Derek Hale, he was a lot of things, but he wasn't a lair. He told her the truth always, even if she didn't want to hear it.

The drive was quiet the rest of the way to the station; Erica lost herself in her own thoughts. She was beginning to question if they would be able to ever find Maxwell. She was a Hale Alpha, she was supposed to protect the residents of Beacon Hills from harm and what did she have to show for it; four dead bodies and six missing people. Henry Maxwell had driven her home into a panic and had her and her mate doubting their abilities as alphas.

Derek felt the pressure to do great things and be a great alpha; to be like his mother, and he felt that he was failing his ancestors, his pack and Erica. Erica didn't have the family legacy to live up to; she just didn't want to let her mate and pack down. They were both drowning in a strange cocktail of self-pity (for failing as alphas) and pure rage (towards Maxwell). They needed to do better, they needed to find this guy and stop him. Not only to save the missing people from torture and death but to prove to themselves that they were capable of protecting their town and pack.

They arrived at the station and headed straight for Stilinski's office, spending the next hour holding each other and listening to the deputies and agents talk through all the evidence to track down Maxwell. They stayed like that until a call came in.

They found more bodies, but this time the Sheriff had caught the guy who was dumping the bodies in the act.

* * *

"Where have I seen this guy before?" Erica said as she and Derek observed the interrogation of the man that was caught disposing Maxwell's latest victims.

" _Wolf's Run_." Derek growled. "He was working with the Argents."

Erica growled with him, and the sound carried throughout the station, alarming supernatural and human alike. The Argents haven't left town; they had joined Maxwell. Erica and Derek were pissed.

" _Are the Hale alphas here?_ " the hunter asked the Sheriff. " _Have they realized that they are at fault for this? Chris and Victoria were going to leave them be until they saw Allison was turned into a thing. They consider it an act of war, especially with how the female threatened them. They are ignoring the code now, they intend to help Maxwell wipe all the freaks in this town out._ "

Erica's claws and fangs descended and she felt the rest of her begin to shift. She didn't know who she was angrier with; herself or the Argents. She didn't regret turning Allison, she never would, her friend was much happier as a wolf. But maybe if she hadn't threatened Chris and Victoria so colorfully on Friday, they would still be willing to assist in the search for Maxwell instead of joining him.

"Erica, you did what you had to do. They were threatening to exterminate our pack. They came to our home with weapons intending to kill you all just because I was arrested. Don't blame yourself for their decisions." Derek said taking hold of her hand. "Hunters will look for excuses for war in everything, if they don't like the way a supernatural is acting, they will find an excuse to kill. They don't like that you stood up to them or that Allison made her choice of Pack over blood."

Erica took a deep breath, and focused on her mate's heartbeat, using the strong and steady rhythm as an anchor to reverse her shift. He was right, it wasn't her fault, she couldn't blame herself for the fucked up thought processes of Hunters. "Who's body was he dumping?"

"Actually he was dumping two bodies." Agent King said walking into the room, "We found one still in his truck after the sheriff chased him down. They were both male and fae. Gavin Peirce was an elemental fae, he was dissected and most of his major organs were missing. Noah Johnson was what they call a blue blood, he was drained of blood completely, while he was still alive."

"Blue Blood fae are basically human, but their blood has restorative properties." Derek said, "Peter told me that the blood of an adult can to anything from healing a scrape to curing cancer."

Agent King wrote that down on her notepad. "That explains why he wasn't dissected, there was nothing in his body valuable to Maxwell but his blood." She said before looking back at the alpha-pair. "but I found something interesting about the bodies we haven't found… Bill King, Jason Royce, Betty Cameron and Richie King, all eighteen and younger and all a species of were-cat."

"The Council told us that Beacon Hills has the largest and most diverse were-cat population in the Western US." Erica said, "Is there a black market for young were-cats?"

"Yes, if you get them young enough they can be broken so they can't shift back to human form. They can then be sold as exotic pets to unsavory individuals." Agent King said with tears forming. "But Bill and Jason are too old to be broken, and Betty, she's eleven they would have to break her quick before she starts menstruating…once she's fertile she'll be able to control her shift…oh dear…"

"Oh god no." Erica said, realizing what the agent had realized.

"They want to breed her don't they? They'll break Richie and sell him, but if they breed Betty with others…they'll be able to break and sell any cubs she gives birth to." Derek said disgusted.

"Were-cats aren't as strong as were-wolves in human form… and we are vulnerable to wolfsbane …it causes us not to be able to shift. They could easily keep them all subdued for as long as possible. Bill and Jason wouldn't be able to save themselves or those cubs if they are constantly dosed with wolfsbane." Agent King said in a detached voice. "What do I say to the families? My own family?" She muttered while leaving the room.

Erica and Derek growled again, only this time it was louder and a few people were startled form their seats in the bullpen just outside the observation room.

"I'm going to kill this asshole." Erica said. "I'm going to make it hurt. After what he's done and what he intends on doing… he deserves it. My parents would forgive me…Mother Moon would forgive me for taking this monster's life."

"No, We'll kill him together. Let him know what you do when you harm people under the Hale Pack's protection." Derek told her. His eyes were glowing and there was a tiny grin on his face. She smelt his bloodlust; it was as strong as hers was. They were going to rid the earth of Maxwell, as a mated pair.

Erica was pulled from her bloody fantasies when the Sheriff started calling for a medic. She saw the hunter was foaming at the mouth and smiling.

"He took a damn suicide pill before they arrested him." Derek growled after smelling the odor coming from the interrogation room. "He hasn't given the Sheriff any information and now he's going to die on us!"

The Sheriff and a deputy with a medical kit had placed the man on the floor of the interrogation room and were trying to save his life. I didn't work. Erica smelt the stench of death coming from the man; there was no saving him.

The man used his last breath to devastate Erica, her mate and the Sheriff. " _It's recess time at the elementary school isn't it?_ " He said with a smile on his face.

As the man died and the Sheriff started to shake the man yelling at him to tell him what he meant the phones at the station started to ring.

"Shots fired at elementary school." Deputy Parrish yelled. "Let's go people."

* * *

They arrived on the scene last because Derek had to wrestle the keys away from a distraught Erica and John, insisting they were too emotionally invested to drive. Erica was a mess because she sensed fear and pain coming from three of her betas, and John was distressed because Juliet's grade had recess around this time of day and the hunter made a point to mention recess to John before he died.

They arrived on scene and Parrish briefed them on the situation. "Five teachers injured, three kids injured, we're still taking roll to see if anyone is missing. Everyone uninjured has been returned to their classrooms and the principal will let us know who is missing."

Erica sniffed the air. "Wolfsbane. Hunters." She said before running towards an ambulance.

Marin was standing over Rosalyn. They both had been shot in the arm but Marin's wound was patched up, she was chanting over Rose; drawing out the poison.

"She'll be fine." Marin told Erica.

"The pups…they were going after the pups. Tried to stop." Rosalyn said before passing out.

Erica and John ran into the school and nearly knocked down the principal, who was on her way outside with a tearful Raul following her.

"Sheriff, we took roll and two students are missing." The woman said. "Diego Hale and… I'm so sorry…your daughter is missing as well."

John collapsed and began to cry. Erica simply howled.

_They took Diego and Julie._


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please heed the M rating on this story. Lots of violence, death and other mature themes to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are different POVs in this chapter. The characters we hear from are: Raul, Erica (twice), Lydia and Bill King.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Work Published: March 30, 2014  
> Work Completed: ?

Cousin Derek was on the phone with Allison and Cora ordering the pack home; Derek and Mr. John sat on a bench with Raul as all Mr. John's deputies collected evidence. His little brother and Julie were taken, and Raul felt responsible for it. He was a failure as a brother, friend, son and Hale.

His Momma had told him that he was in charge, that if anything ever happened to her or his Aunt that he would have to protect Diego, Juliet and Connor. He had failed her last request of him; he didn't protect Diego and Julie when they needed the most protecting.

His adoptive family was the Hale family; they were all strong, and their duty was protecting the town. His cousin Derek was one of their alphas, his cousin Cora was Derek's Second, Malia -his sister- was a Third, His parents were Pack Elders, and Lydia -his other sister- was an over protective Banshee that got upset when he scraped his knee on the playground. He had failed them all, he wasn't strong enough to protect them, and he wasn't smart enough to see that Maxwell could attack at recess. Now Rosie and Ms. Marin were hurt, and his baby brother and Julie were gone…probably dead.

 _No. Not dead._ He would know if Diego were dead.

_Alpha would know too. They aren't dead._

Alpha and Mr. John had yet to speak to him. Mr. John was running the investigation as best he could and telling Ms. Mel to go home and be with Connor because there was nothing she could do here. Alpha was scenting the school grounds with Rosie, and coordinating on the phone with the pack that wasn't here. Raul could feel his Alpha's rage, and couldn't help but feel that this was his fault.

His only source of comfort was Cousin Derek. He had held Raul's hand the whole time they were on the bench, even when he was making important alpha phone calls. Raul didn't deserve his comfort, but he appreciated it. He would cherish it when Mom and Dad yelled at him and didn't want him anymore for losing Diego and Julie.

Once Derek was off the phone and Mr. John had dried his tears left to coordinate with his deputies and the FBI, Raul took his opportunity to talk to Cousin Derek. "I'm sorry Derek, I wasn't there to save them. I was inside." Raul said fighting his tears. "Dad and Mom are going to be so mad at me. And Alpha Erica is mad at me. I wasn't strong enough or smart enough to save Diego and Julie. They can send me away, I understand. Just make sure they find Diego and Julie."

Derek looked at him like he was crazy. "No one blames you for what happened Raul. Not your parents, not Erica and not me. It wasn't your fault." Derek said pulling him into a hug.

Before Raul said anything, two cars came speeding towards the school from opposite directions. They both parked hastily in front of the police cruisers and yelled at people that wouldn't let them through.

" _Let me through you barbarian! I want to make sure my son is okay!_ " His Mom yelled.

" _Get your hands off me now kid or I will rip them off._ " His dad growled.

Raul jumped out of Derek's hug and ran towards the voices of his parents. "Mom! Dad!"

"Raul!" They both said as they brushed aside the police officers holding them back and ran to him.

Once he was in Mom's arms he started to cry. "I'm sorry."

"What the hell are you sorry for?" Dad said, hugging him and Mom.

"He thinks that you will be mad at him because he wasn't there to save Diego." Derek said as he walked up. "He thinks you won't want him any more."

"Raul Alexander Hale." Mom said, breaking the hug and staring him in the eye. "What have your father and I done to indicate we would give you up?"

"Nothing. You love me." Raul said. "But, My Momma told me it was my job to protect them, and I didn't. I'm a bad son."

"You say one more negative, untrue thing about yourself and you are grounded." Dad said with a growl. "It isn't your fault. The pack is going to find Diego and Juliet and then we will all go back to living our lives."

"Marin is riding back home with you. Help everyone who isn't fighting get settled into the bunker." Derek told Dad. "Cora and Allison are already preparing everyone who is fighting for battle. We are meeting at the station in two hours."

Mom and Dad nodded as Ms. Marin approached them. "The battle might happen sooner than you think. One of the teachers that was shot just woke, she's being interviewed right now. I heard something about a license plate number."

"Get home now." Derek ordered. "And I mean it when I say lock everyone in the bunker before you and the betas come to meet us. We don't need Maxwell trying to kidnap more of us while all our wolves are at the station planning how to take him out."

Raul grabbed his Mom's and Ms. Marin's hands and dragged them towards Mom's car. His pack needed to find Diego and Julie and they couldn't do that when the rest of them were unprotected. As he opened the door to the backseat he saw his Dad was still standing next to Derek. "Dad! You heard him! We have to get home now!"

As he hopped into the car he heard the whispered words his cousin and Dad said to each other as they parted.

" _What is the deal with your children finally calling you Dad when something catastrophic* happens?"_

" _Shut it dear nephew."_

* * *

Erica, Derek and their Betas were all crammed into the Sheriff's office, waiting for a location. Their plan was in place, they just needed to implement it.

It was already decided how it would go down; they had their teams all set, and understood that their goal as a pack was to subdue the hunters and find the hostages. They had agreed with John that the pack would go in first, and then the deputies and agents would enter after and arrest those that had been subdued.

The sheriff had a license plate, and the FBI was using it to track the car. The car they used at the school had been dumped but they also had a witness that gave another license plate number. That car had been last seen as a gas station near the old warehouse district.

They were so close she could almost taste Maxwell's blood. Diego and Juliet would be fine and in their own beds way before bedtime.

At least that's what she had thought. Then the air conditioning kicked on in the station and a thick smoke started to come out of the vents. Human and supernatural alike began to fall over when they breathed in the smoke. Erica noticed that people were trying to open the doors and windows and were unsuccessful. Whoever did this had sealed them all in. They were all done for.

She had no time to howl for help before the gas overtook her.

Besides, everyone who could understand her howl was either in this station or a prisoner.

* * *

Lydia typically understood when she had to stay back as the wolves went to do wolfy things. But now she was furious. Her all-knowing alphas thought that keeping her, her mother, Kira, Mellissa, Bray and Marin out of the fight was a good idea?

Yes, someone needed to stay back with Connor and Raul, and yes, Maxwell would probably love to experiment on her…and her mother…and on Kira …and on Druids as powerful as Bray and Marin…Damn it. Okay! She saw the point! Being in the bunker was safer if you were a pack member that wasn't a wolf. That didn't stop her from wanting to help.

Malia, Scott and Stiles would get to help save their siblings; she would have to stay back. Diego wouldn't see her face when he was rescued and know that his big sister Lydia loved him so fiercely she would shed blood for him. The only family he would have to hug him and tell him it was okay were Malia and Peter…and they were typically not affectionate people.

Maybe this bunker was making her go crazy. They had been in here for hours, with no updates from the pack. She was getting worried. There was this feeling in her the pit of her stomach she couldn't place…

She knew the pack wasn't in danger; she would be able to feel if her mate were in distress. The problem was she couldn't feel anything from Aiden. She was worried that they couldn't find where the creep Maxwell was hiding, and he was blocking it from her.

If they didn't find them in time what would happen to her little brother and Julie?

"Lydia." Raul said from one of the bunks along the wall. "Come sit please?" he said in a desperate tone.

Lydia pulled herself together; she had a brother that needed her right here. She would focus on him and let Malia rescue Diego... Malia was better at bloodshed. Lydia sat down next to Raul and pulled him into a hug, which he immediately reciprocated.

She took the time to survey the bunker. It was as big as the first floor of the Den and divided up onto three rooms. The common room was the largest and also the first room you saw when you entered the bunker. It held couches, a wall of TVs that showed the security feed for the property, a small kitchenette, rations to last the whole pack a month, among other practical comforts. There were two rooms off the larger room; the bathroom and the bedroom. The bathroom held three toilet stalls, three shower stalls, three sinks and a combination washer/dryer. The bedroom, where Lydia and Raul were now, consisted of about fifteen sets of bunk beds, spaced through the room, and storage containers under each bunk with linens, blankets and pillows.

Mom, Bray and Marin were in the common room, watching the security feeds and their phones for any change; Lydia knew they were just as pissed at being left out of the battle as she was. Melissa and Connor were in the bedroom with herself and Raul, Connor had cried himself to sleep in his Mother's arms and had her in a vice grip; Melissa was awake and unable to move because her son would whimper each time she did. Mr. and Mrs. Whitemore were on one of the couches in the common room with Kira; the kitsune trying to keep her in-laws calm about having to be locked in an underground bunker.

"Raul," Lydia asked her brother after holding him a few moments, "Have you heard any howls yet?"

"No."

Lydia did not like that at all. It made her feel sick to her stomach. They left hours ago! Mom had said that they had found the car that took Diego and Juliet, and had the video of another car and were using street cameras to trace its route. She grabbed her brother's hand and they made their way to the main room.

"Mom!" She said, her voice betraying her anxiety.

"I know Lyd. I feel like I want to scream too." Her mother said running her fingers though her hair.

"Does that mean that they are…that they are dead?" Kira said apprehensively as the Whittemores gasped.

"No, it just means there is something wrong with them." Marin said. "Sarah, Lydia, you both need to focus. Wail if you have too."

Raul let go of her hand and covered his ears, as she and her mother looked into each other's eyes and wailed. As they wailed it became clearer. The pack was at the station. They had been attacked. They needed help.

"We have to go help them." Lydia said after she and her mother caught their breath.

"What if it's a trap?" Kira asked half-heartedly, while reaching for her katana, making it clear that she didn't care if it was a trap, she was going regardless. "What if Maxwell is trying to lure us out?"

"We can't just stay here. Diego and Juliet are depending on the pack for rescue. If the pack is in trouble then who is going to rescue them?" Braeden said.

Melissa entered the common room carrying a newly awake Connor. "You all go. I'll stay here and keep Jo, David and the boys company."

Kira strapped her katana on her back and sat down to put on her boots as her in-laws looked at her in awe. "Maxwell could be using the pack being incapacitated to move his operation. We can't let him get away."

Lydia nodded and went to the weapons rack. She grabbed a knife and a gun for herself; her offensive Banshee powers weren't as advanced as her Mom's so she had to rely on the human weapons training Allison had given her in a fight if her powers failed her. Braeden grabbed a shotgun and strapped it to her back before Lydia locked up the weapons. Braeden, unlike Marin, was still in training as an Emissary, so like Lydia she preferred to have a human weapon on her just in case.

Mom and Marin went toward the air-locked door to the bunker and were punching in the codes to open it while Lydia, Kira and Bray got themselves ready. Once the door was open Mom gave Raul a kiss. "Be good for Melissa and Mr. and Mrs. Whittemore." She said before she and Marin led the way. Kira and Braeden waved goodbye and followed after them.

"Come back safe." Her little brother ordered her.

"Of course I will Raul. And I'm brining our whole pack back with me." She said with a smile before kissing him goodbye.

She pulled the door shut as she left and heard the locking sequence begin as she ran down the tunnels after her Mom and friends.

When she caught up, Kira smiled at her mischievously. "Ready to save a pack of wolves? Again?"

"Our powers do save them allot don't they?" Braeden said.

"Well, let this teach them not to leave us behind next time." Lydia said.

"No Lydia." Her mother chastised as the tunnel made another turn. "Let's hope that there never is a next time."

They all muttered their agreement and they continued to navigate the underground network of tunnels under  _Wolf's Run_.

* * *

Erica woke up with an intense headache and the chanting on Marin and Braeden. "What happened?"

"You were all sealed in." Lydia said, "and the air conditioning was spiked with a nasty cocktail of aerosolized wolfsbane, chloroform and some nasty deadly compounds. Who ever their chemist is? He or she is an evil genius. Knocked everyone out, could have killed if we hadn't gotten here when we did. Luckily our Druids have a few chants to detoxify you all so we can find this Maxwell, crunch him into tiny pieces and get back my brother and Julie."

Erica started at her, then at Kira, Sarah, Marin and Braeden. "Weren't the five of you under orders to stay in the bunker?"

"You needed us." Braeden said, leaving no room for argument. "We can hold our own."

Erica wasn't exactly in the position to disagree with them. She looked around as everyone was pulling themselves off the floor. Only a few people still looked like they were half asleep. "How long were we out?"

"Two and half hours." John said looking at the clock.

"Mel and the boys are still in the bunker." Sarah said after catching John look around the station. John sighed in relief.

"What about my parents?" Jackson asked worriedly.

"A bit confused, very worried, and safely in the bunker with Melissa and the boys." Kira said, kissing her mate's forehead. "I just texted Melissa, she said that they passed out after seeing us strap on our weapons and strut out of the bunker…I think they may be overwhelmed sweetie."

"Isaac, when this is all over we  _have_  to remember that Kira calls Jackson 'sweetie' and how very amusing we find it." Erica heard Stiles moan as he got up from the floor.

"I'd tell you to tell Scott to remind us, but he's still sleepy." Isaac said, and Erica heard a light slap against skin. "wakey-wakey, Scotty."

It took a few moments for everyone in the Sheriff's station to be fully awake and poison free. The humans bounced back the quickest and went straight back to the work they were doing before the station was attacked.

"Do we have a location yet? They could have used the time we were unconscious to leave town." Derek asked the Sheriff

"Yes, they could have, but they also think they had given us enough gas to kill us all." Peter said. "I don't think they were counting on five beautiful women to save our asses from dying."

"Save it Peter." Sarah said, "I'm not forgiving you for leaving me behind until we get our son back."

"Fair enough." Peter shrugged.

"Wait Lyd!" Stiles exclaimed, "Did you say chemist?"

"Yes. I took a look at the chemical mixture hooked up to the AC while Kira was dismantling it. Whoever made it has to have taken doctorate level chemistry classes or has an IQ higher than mine, I couldn't have done that and not caused at least three explosions trying to get it right." Lydia told the group.

"Dad, where is the coroners report?" Stiles asked.

John shuffled his papers around before pulling out a thick file. "That's all six of them."

Stiles only needed the top page and handed it to Derek. "I got bored earlier and read this when a deputy delivered it. Dad hasn't seen it yet. Doc always attaches a letter to Dad with has personal assessments of the case and keeps it separate from the actual examination. Last paragraph."

Derek read the note warily. " _I know that the Alphas believe these killings were done by a hunter, and yes, perhaps he is orchestrating this whole thing…but after my talks with Alpha Hale over the past day about anatomy of a supernatural I doubt that Maxwell or his team are the ones doing the actual torturing and dissecting. Perhaps they are selling the products of the torture and dissection but whoever did this has had extensive medical training and intimate knowledge of supernaturals, which Alpha Hale says most hunters do not know or care to know. There is more to this case than we suspect."_

"So you think that there is a supernatural creature working with Maxwell?" Malia asked Stiles. "That's crazy."

"Is it? One day Maxwell didn't know what creatures this town held, the next he's able to start nabbing them off the street, knowing exactly how to overpower them." Allison said. "You said that the Hunter this morning was an Argent. What if Maxwell recruited more help than just other hunters?"

A sick feeling came over Erica. " _The Doctor knows things_ …" she whispered.

"Yeah, puppy. He's the coroner…duh." Stiles said.

"No! Juliet said she was trying to help, we just didn't listen to her!" Erica said. "Derek remember the day they were going to adopt the kids? Julie asked what we were doing…and we said that we were looking for clues about who was hunting her."

"She said  _'the doctor knows things'_ " Derek said, "She was giving us a prediction about Dr. Joseph telling us about The Council."

"What if she wasn't," Erica said. "When have the visions she shares been that small?"

"She keeps the small things to herself." John told them, "Her Mom…her biological mom …told her to only share something if the vision was a strong one that made you feel sick. That those were the ones that were very important and could help someone."

"Yeah, she says she won't tell us small things…because surprises are good." Scott said, "Not that The Council is a small thing, but we were bound to find out about them on our own, whether Julie predicted it or not. And to her that was a good surprise…knowing we weren't alone in town."

"Dr. Joseph hasn't been at the last few Council meetings," Peter added. "We were worried that him and his family had been abducted too, but when someone called him he says that they were fine and he was just very busy at work."

Erica glared at Derek. He held his hands up in surrender. "Okay! Maybe you were right about him after all."

"Yeah Pup, Maybe him feeding off of you as a human wasn't what gives you the creeps about him, maybe it's the fact he likes to experiment on people." Isaac laughed.

Everyone turned to glare at him. "What? Too soon?" He said as Boyd slapped him on the back of the head.

"Sheriff!" Agent King said, running into the room. "We finally know who owns the second vehicle, the information came in while we were asleep."

"Let me guess, Dr. H. Joseph." The Sheriff said.

Agent King nodded. "And I have an address one block away from the gas station the kidnappers were last spotted at."

"Let's go." Sheriff said grabbing his vest and gun and running out the office door. "Come on everyone! Lets go! We got him." Deputies, agents and pack members all grabbed their weapons and ran for their vehicles. "Remember the plan. Sheriff's department and FBI set up a tight perimeter around the target's house. EMT's on stand by. Hale Pack enters first; the second howl we hear after they enter is our signal to enter. No sirens people. We don't want runners."

Everyone poured from the station and into vehicles. The Pack all fit into her truck, truck bed, 2 SUV's and the Sheriff's cruiser. Before they started the cars, all the wolves of her pack let out a howl.

_We're coming for you, Pups. Hold on._

The Sheriff and pack lead the way and dozens of police vehicles followed.

Henry Maxwell, and whomever he was associated with were going down. Tonight.

* * *

William Justin King. **

His mother and father didn't just pick any old name for him; they wanted something that suited the son of the Pride Leader. When he was born his parents had high hopes for him: to be his mother's heir, or be a member of The Council, or marry into a larger Pride and be the Consort to their Pride Leader. They had lofty dreams and ambitions for him and decided he needed a name to reflect what they wanted him to be.

 _William_. English in origin. Meaning: Strong-willed warrior.

 _Justin._ English in origin. Meaning: just, fair.

 _King._ Well, his surname wasn't chosen for him, it just went very nicely with his parent's hopes for him.

Too bad he never quite lived up to expectations. He was weak, gave in easily to peer pressure, and eventually became one of the biggest bullies in Beacon Hills High School. His mother had been disappointed, and spent much time debating with his father if exiling him from the Pride was the right move. She loved him but as Pride Leader she needed to look out for them all, and having a selfish, weak and cowardly male in your Pride wasn't for the best. After posting a video of Erica Reyes online at the beginning of Senior Year, his mother had exhaustedly told him that he had one last chance; she couldn't make excuses for him anymore.

He tried to clean up his act since then, but just because he slowly stopped bullying people and hanging out with his old friends, didn't mean he had changed enough to earn back his parents' respect. It just meant he wasn't doing anything new to be kicked out of the Pride. After he graduated, he started working full time with his uncle, cousins and father hoping that the time together would make them see he had changed, and he wanted to be family. But they seemed to only tolerate him.

But when Aunt Catlyn visited, she brought Richie. Richie was the only member of his family that didn't look at him like he was a disappointment. He was a kid, he didn't know what a piece of crap his older cousin was, so it wasn't weird that they spent a ton of time together. Nor was it weird that Bill had spent the weekend at the arcade with his little cousin and they walked to the ice-cream stand a block away after dinner on Sunday.

He should have seen them coming. It's just that he was so happy to feel like an actual person, and not be worried about his next sentence being the one that pushes his mother over the edge. One moment they were walking home, eating their rocky road and the next, four guys were jumping him and a red-headed lady was sticking a syringe in Richie's neck.

When he woke up, he was in this basement and a little fae girl was being tortured and her organs were being pulled out. Some guy named Maxwell was instructing the vampire doctor that did his checkups when he was a cub what organs to take out and where to cut. Maxwell kept telling Doc that if he didn't do what he was told his family would die.

He was forced to watch as Doc cut up and killed six people under Maxwell's orders. He told Jason, Betty and Richie not to look, and positioned himself in front of Richie and Betty as best as his chains would allow so they didn't have to see, but that only worked so well.

It didn't take him long to realize that Maxwell wasn't touching any of the four were-cats he had apart from their wolfsbane injections to keep them weak. Maxwell knew enough about were-cats to know that if they were basically adults once they were sixteen and if he didn't give Bill and Jason their injections every five hours, they could shift and kill all their captors in moments. Mom had told him that if he was captured he would surely die, because hunters knew having adult were-cats hostage was dangerous and would only risk holding adults for breeding cubs.

After Bill realized what Maxwell was doing he couldn't look Betty or Richie in the eye. They were going to have the worst of it. Maxwell planned on getting Richie permanently stuck in his cougar form, and using Jason and himself to turn Betty into a cub factory. Cubs that Maxwell could break from birth, who would never live a day in human form and could be sold as pets.

He didn't let his worry and fear show. He just kept telling Betty and Richie that they could not shift, that this was life or death. If Richie never shifted, he couldn't be broken. If Betty never shifted, Maxwell could make the Doc speed up her heats, and he and Jason wouldn't…he didn't want to think about. He wasn't going to let it happen.

After a night of watching the last two of captured fae being tortured to death, Maxwell and the Doc left the basement of terror. Bill heard muttering about the Hale pack and the elementary school. Bill had heard the howls last night. He knew the pack was chasing Maxwell, and that Maxwell wanted one of Erica Reyes' kid-betas for some reason. Maxwell was making his move.

"Jace?" Bill asked.

"Yeah?" The sixteen-year-old were-lion asked tiredly.

"As soon as they miss a dose, get ready to shift. And you two…"He said to Betty and Richie. "Get ready to run when Jace and I shift."

"What's your plan King?" Jason asked.

"Fight them off long enough for you to get the cubs out." Bill said

"Billie!" Richie protested.

"Keep it down" Betty hissed. "They could still be listening. Speak at a tone only us cats can hear okay?"

They all nodded, and stopped talking for awhile, Bill even drifeted off to sleep until the cries from upstairs woke him.

"Who else did they take?" Riche asked. "They have the Doctor's family gagged, its not them crying."

Bill sniffed the air. "Were-wolf pups."

"Are they stupid? Did they not hear the howls last night?" Jason asked. "The Hale Pack is already looking for us, taking their pups is only going to piss them off more."

"They are having the Doc mix up some poison, to kill off the pack and everyone at the sheriff's station." Betty said, "They were whispering this morning while you were asleep."

Bill swore under his breath. He was hoping for some wolf help getting out of here, but it looks like he and Jason had to fight alone.

The door opened and a few thugs threw the little girl and boy in the room. They didn't bother chaining them to the wall, just threw them in and locked the door. Muttering about them hoping the cats were hungry.

"Do they really think that were-cats and were-wolves would eat each other?" Jason wondered. "Idiots."

"We've established that." Betty said as the newly arrived boy shifted and used his claws to untie himself and his packmate. "Hey you. Wolf-boy. Can you use those nails to pick locks?"

"Sure." He nodded, walking over to the corner Richie and Betty were.

As the boy got to work, the girl simply stood there staring at him.

"Hey kid." Jason addressed the girl. "Can you do that neat trick too?"

"Julie's mostly human, she can't shift." The boy said, making quick work of the locks on Richie and Betty, before walking over to Jason and himself. "I'm Diego Hale. That's…"

"I'm Juliet McCall-Stilinski." The girl said.

"So they kidnapped a Hale and the sheriff's kid?" Jason said. "Idiots is not a strong enough word for them."

"Idiots with werewolf and police killing poison Jason Royce!" Betty hissed, rubbing her wrists and getting up to pace the cell.

"Don't worry, they will fail." Juliet said, rocking back and forth on her heels. "My pack and my daddy will come for us, and Billie and Jason will get us to safety while the pack attacks the bad guys."

"Well shit." Jason said, "You're the Seer they are talking about…"

"Not too loud! They thinks its my baby brother that's the Seer."

"Everyone keep your voice down." Bill said, and everyone hushed "Juliet, how are we going to get out?"

"They is going forget your wolfsbane injection, and you are going to get strong." She shrugged. "You all need sleep if we are going to run to safety, it will be hours til you are strong enough. Diego and I aren't tired, we will keep watch."

"Well you all heard the girl." Bill said to Jason, Betty and Richie. "Get some sleep, tonight is the night."

* * *

He woke up hours later to the sound of howls, which caused the hunters upstairs to start yelling.

"What are the wolves saying?" Bill asked the pups.

"They are coming for us." Diego said.

Bill nodded and got up to stretch, noticing that he felt stronger; the wolfsbane had cleared his system. He listened as the hunters argued, and started firing their guns. "Everyone. Get in the far corner now." He ordered the cubs and pups before turning to Jason. "I know you're a big bad lion, but I figured I'm the only adult here, I should take charge."

Jason nodded and helped herd the four kids into the corner. "They killed the Doc an his family just now didn't they?"

"He is of no use to them anymore." Bill said in response. "The pack is closing in on them and they never intended on letting them live in the first place. They have what they needed…Start shifting Jace… and kids, get ready to run." He said as he felt his teeth change shape, his tail grow and his hands and feet become paws.

After a few moments, he had completely shifted, so had Jason. Jason was standing in front of the kids in a protective stance, the lion's body blocking the cubs and pups from view. Bill stood slightly in front of him, prepared to pounce on the hunters when they opened the door and clear a path for Jason and the kids to run to the safety of the pack.

He heard an army of cars surround the block, parking far enough away that the hunters wouldn't notice.

They hadn't, Bill heard Maxwell making his way down the stairs to give them their injections.  _Too late Idiot, you missed your chance…_

Right as the evil jerk was unlocking the locks, the power went out in the house. Good thing were-cats and wolves could see in the dark. Even better, Maxwell couldn't. He wouldn't be able to see him until it was too late.

"Kira!" Juliet whispered excitedly. "The pack is here!"

"You might want to cover your ears or dull your hearing in the next few seconds." Diego whispered. "If Kira is here, so are Mom and Lydia, and if they howl with the pack…"

Diego didn't get to finish his sentence, because as soon as Maxwell swung the door open the battle began. The alphas and their betas howled, the Banshees wailed, the police sirens began and Bill and Jason roared.

Henry Maxwell pissed his pants as Bill King tore off his arm that held the wolfsbane syringes and dragged him from the room by his leg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FootNotes:
> 
> * Malia started calling Peter 'Dad' right after Derek died, in chapter 13 of TSW… Raul decedes to start calling Peter and Sarah his Dad and Mom after Diego and Juliet are kidnapped.
> 
> ** I get all my name info from *babynamesDOTcom*.
> 
> *** People captured by Maxwell:
> 
> Tanya and Faye Young- nature fae-DEAD chapter 12
> 
> Miguel and Amelia Vasquez- were-coyotes- DEAD chapter 13
> 
> Gavin Pierce – elemental fae - DEAD chapter 13
> 
> Noah Johnson – blue blood fae- DEAD chapter 13
> 
> Betty Cameron – were-tiger
> 
> Jason Royce- were-lion
> 
> Bill and Richie King- were-cougars


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please heed the M rating on this story. Lots of violence, death and other mature themes to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So up until now, I've been posting chapters that I had already posted on fanfiction.net. Chapter 15 is the last chapter I have pre-written. Hopefully the last 3 chapters of this fic will be put up in the next week.
> 
> narrators in this chapter: Erica (3x), Derek, and Sheriff Stilinski
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting

After Kira knocked out the power in the house, Erica and Derek howled signaling for the pack to enter. When they howled not only did the pack join them, but Erica heard two roars join in as well.

As her betas entered and started taking out hunters, she heard a man scream from the basement. "Were-cats." Derek told her, when she paused to focus her hearing. "They are protecting the pups as well as their own kind."

Erica nodded and went back to fighting. She and Derek stayed blocking the front door and catching stray humans that got away from the pack. Her betas started going from room to room taking down the hunters with ease. None of the wolves broke a sweat; this was nothing like the battle they had with the Thorne pack. The battle was hardly a battle; the hunters were not prepared for the pack to survive the gas attack so they were caught off guard enough to be taken down. When it seemed like most all of the humans were subdued she and Derek howled for the deputies, letting them know they could come in and start arresting the hunters.

After a few moments Derek, Erica and their lieutenants stood in the living room guarding the hunters as the rest of the pack searched the house. The deputies started to file in and arrest the hunters. Chris Argent was looking pleadingly to Allison, but Allison looked through him and surveyed the scene.

"All the men that visited  _Wolf's Run_  are here…besides the one from this morning that killed himself. And as far as I can tell, all Maxwell's men are here…my only question is where is Maxwell and Victoria?" Allison asked.

Boyd and Jackson came running into the room at that. "There are seven dead in the master bedroom upstairs…Dr. Joseph, his brother, their wives and their kids. Isaac doesn't think they've been dead long." Boyd told them

"We can assume that the Doc's part in the torture was involuntary." Malia said. "If he was a partner, he wouldn't be dead."

Boyd nodded. "Looks like. They were all bound and gagged. Shot execution style."

Erica was going to be sick. Seven more bodies? She wanted to gut Maxwell. Killing innocents was bad enough, forcing people to torture and kill was bad enough, but killing children…for that alone he deserved more pain than she could inflict.

"Lydia, Sarah and Testicle Left and Right* are standing at the basement door. The stairs collapsed and they can't get the pups and the other captives out. Especially that big ass lion down there."

"Lion? What about the cougar?" Derek asked.

"That's what collapsed the stairs. Juliet said something about 'Billie getting rid of the bad man'." Jackson told her. "Bill King and Maxwell are gone. But Maxwell was bleeding a ton, follow the trail."

"How did an adult cougar slip past all of us with an injured hostage?" Erica growled.

"If he did it, you can bet Victoria was able to too." Derek said.

Erica sighed. "I'll go after Bill, can you wrap everything up here yourself?"

Derek grinned. "There's not much to do. The police have it from here, all we have left to do is help the EMTs and Fire Rescue Squad get the pups and the were-cats out of the basement. I think I can handle it."

"Boyd, Danny and Jackson. Follow me." Erica said running out the back door and following the scent of blood and anger down the block.

"Is he headed toward the center of town?" Danny asked as the boys fell into step behind her.

"I really hoped that we could keep our towns furry little secret a secret." Erica growled. "But everyone seems determined to do the opposite."

"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad," Boyd said, "We wouldn't have to hide who we are, or deal with being called a cult…."

"Or any more bullshit FBI investigations." Jackson added. "If everyone just knew, everything could go a bit better. Half of our problem when something nasty comes to town is how are we going to keep this secret from the town and keep people safe."

The rest of the chase was silent as Erica pondered what the betas had said. The alpha in her wanted their secret a secret to protect the pack from hunters but the human in her had to agree with their logic. She heard of the stories of what the pack faced before she was bitten…and from what she heard of those stories coupled with her own experiences things would have been easier if they could have just said;  _'Hello everyone, there's something nasty in town. Be careful while we handle this situation. Love, The Hale Pack.'_. Maybe the town secret was something she and Derek could have Peter bring before The Council at their next meeting.

* * *

**Derek Hale was a number of things, but cold-hearted he was not. As he watched the fire rescue team pull each of the kidnapped kids from the basement he fought tears of joy.

The first one out was Juliet; who ran directly into John's arms. "Daddy!" she said, "I wasn't afraid because I knew you would save me. I don't need my gift to know that."

John held onto her tight and Scott and Stiles joined them in a hug. Derek heard all three of them sobbing as they broke the hug to call Mellissa, telling her and Connor about the passing danger and Juliet's safe recovery.

"Julie, go wait in the car with your brothers to go home okay?" the Sheriff said drying his eyes after the call ended. "Daddy has to stay here for a bit."

"Okay Daddy." The young girl said, dragging her older brothers by their hands out of the door.

His cousin was next. Diego was in his beta form, ready for a fight when he was lifted out of the basement. He shifted back as Lydia and Malia grabbed him from the firefighters arms and pulled him into a hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again little brother." Lydia said.

Peter and Sarah approached their children, and Sarah joined her daughters and son in a hug. Peter kissed Diego's forehead, before trying to escort his family out of the house of horrors. Derek understood the instinct; the wolf in his uncle would want to make sure his pup was safe in their den before he left his guard down for a reunion. In Peter's mind they were still in battle.

"Take your family and the McCall-Stilinski's home." He ordered Peter. Derek did not need his uncle attacking a well-intentioned EMT wanting to check Diego over for injuries, so they needed to leave soon.

Peter nodded and made his way for the door.

"Dad, I need to stay." Malia looking towards Derek, hinting that her position in the pack dictated she was supposed to be one of the first ones to arrive and last ones to leave. Peter looked ready to murder at the thought of his daughter staying behind.

"No 'Lia. Go home. Cora, Allison and I can handle this just fine." Derek told his cousin.

Malia nodded and exited the house after her family. Peter looked to Derek gratefully. "Thank you, nephew."

"You're welcome, uncle." Derek said, turning to observe Richie King, the youngest were-cat being pulled from the basement.

Agent King had been bouncing on the balls of her feet waiting for her son. "Richie." She cried as the cub ran to her.

Cora walked up next to him and sighed. Derek looked out of the corner of his eye to observe her. He knew that face, she wanted to be held but was too proud to admit it… even as a toddler she would make that face. Derek put his arm around her as they watched mother and son reunite (and young Richie tell the tale of his cousin's heroics). Derek sighed in contentment as his baby sister returned the embrace and put her arms around his middle and her head on his chest.

"Der-Bear?" she said softly, "I love you. I was just thinking today that we don't say that enough."

"I love you too, baby sister." He said kissing her forehead. "Did you order everyone else to go home?"

"Yep. Ally is supervising that, making sure they all leave. She didn't want to come back in, I think she wanted to make sure they locked up Chris." She said as the King's exited the room and a girl was pulled from the basement.

A female deputy took Betty Cameron to the side and explained that she would be driving her and Jason home. The female smelled like were-cat and Betty went from alert to calm in her presence. Not long after Betty was pulled up was the final captive rescued.

Betty punched Jason Royce in the stomach. "What the hell was that for?" the teen asked.

"You being naked. It's gross." The girl growled, her skin becoming striped for a moment.

The deputy laughed and handed Jason a pair of pants and a sweatshirt. "They are my partner's gym clothes; might be a little big on you and smell, but they'll do for now. I figured we'd have at least one naked person on our hands tonight."

Jason thanked her and put on the clothes as the fire department cleared out and the coroner and deputies made their way upstairs. After he dressed the were-cats left the house, and the only ones left were the people processing the scene, Cora and Derek.

"I think that John has it from here." Cora said, making no move to break their hug. "We should go."

Allison came running into the house. "Boyd, Jax and Danny are back. Maxwell is dead. Erica told them to tell the Sheriff where the body was then come home with us."

Derek searched the bond with his mate, checking for her distress at taking a life. He felt nothing. She probably needed some time to herself to process the ordeal. "Okay. Let's go home." He said letting go of his sister and walking out the door.

As they all walked to his mate's truck, he fired off a text to Erica.

**TO: ERICA**

**Can't feel you. Hope you're okay. Camaro is still at station. I love you.**

**Derek.**

As they all settled into the car they let out a sigh of relief, "It's really over isn't it?" Allison asked. "We're safe now?"

"Yes, It's over." Derek said, and almost grinned in joy as he started the truck and started driving home.

"Holy shit! Derek just smiled!" Jackson exclaimed. "Wait until I tell Stilinski!"

"I did not just smile." He said in protest. He did not need that getting back to his annoying brother-in-law. He had a reputation to protect.

"My brother doesn't smile." Cora said. He loved Cora; she was the best sister ever. Protecting him from everything, even her mate's teasing.

"Everyone saw it." Jackson said. You can't lie your way out of this. If Stilinski, Lahey and McCall are coming after me for my mate calling me sweetie, I'm sic-ing them on our dear alpha for grinning like a loon in happiness."

"Hey, Dummy." Danny said, "I didn't see, I'm sitting behind him."

"Damn. Cora? Change your story?" Jackson pleaded.

"Nope." His sister said.

"Allison?" Jackson asked.

"I'm sorry Jackson. I wasn't looking." Allison said. "But if you want me to lie and say I did I would…I love when Isaac and Stiles team up. Scott gets all happy and puppy-like because his brother and male mate are getting along and Isaac just loves to laugh. It's better when Scott joins them." She said wistfully.

Allison McCall-Lahey was a bigger menace than Derek had anticipated her being. He expected her to be the quiet unassuming human girl who Mother Moon bound for life with two of his wolves. She was more than that; she was a warrior, a friend, his mate's Second in addition to being in a Triad. She was playful even when Derek could feel the sadness pouring off her in waves from her parents' betrayal.

Luckily for Derek, he had his sister to defend his honor. "Yes, but they'd sense the lie, and then we'd have to deal with Isaac and Scott walking around looking like kicked puppies for a week until you apologize. I can lie to Stiles. Stiles thinks it's hot when I lie to him, we'd probably end up in bed."

Cora needed to stop trying to defend his honor; it always ended up in a place that made Derek sick. Derek wanted to puke at the image of his baby sister in bed with Stilinski. His memory had sounds to go with the offending images too because Stiles had ass-dialed him a few months ago while he was being intimate with Cora. Derek desired all the brain bleach in the world.

"Gross Lady-Hale. Stop talking." Jackson said. "Boyd? Please say you saw Derek smile?"

Boyd simply raised his eyebrow and shook his head 'no'.

Jackson started muttering to himself about his upcoming ridicule.

"It's okay Jax." Danny said, "I'll protect you from them. I'll get Ethan to help me, and Aiden too. Maybe Lydia will defend you if you ask her nicely. You know they are afraid of her."

Derek zoned out of the conversation when he looked in the rearview mirror to see Boyd grinning at him before turning to look out the window.

Boyd had seen him grin, and lied for him convincingly. This is why Boyd was his favorite in-law and not Stiles. Boyd wasn't annoying and was loyal. Even in the smallest, silliest situations Boyd had his alpha's back.

They pulled into  _Wolf's Run_ , and Derek parked Erica's truck right in front of the Den. Stiles and Isaac were leaning against the stair railings that lead up to the porch wearing twin smirks.

"Look Isaac!" Stiles exclaimed as they all exited the truck^. "Our Dear Alpha, our two beautiful and terrifying Seconds, and our dear friends Boyd, Daniel and Sweetie are home! How wonderful!"

Isaac looked like he had something to add but then noticed something. "Wait Stiles. Puppy isn't here… We said we wouldn't mock Sweetie until we were all safe at home. Where's the Puppy Al? Did you forget her?" he asked confused.

Allison laughed and kissed her mate. "No silly, she's on her way back."

Stiles sighed dramatically. "Fine. Sweetie gets a stay of execution…plus I hear his mom and dad coming and they scare me."

Derek took pity on Jackson. "You both are going to leave Jackson alone."

"Really? We are?" Isaac said dryly. "Because I was sure we weren't."

"I know Stiles' real name. I also remember what Scott and Allison call you in private Isaac…you do remember that the walls were thin when you, Boyd, Core and I lived at the loft while the Den was under construction, don't you?" Derek said to his beta.

Isaac and Stiles deflated at this, and Jackson thanked Derek before running into the house to find his parents. Isaac and Allison followed him into the den.

"You told him my name!" Stiles hissed at Cora. "The betrayal stings. The love of my life sells me out to her brother!"

"I wasn't the one who ass-dialed him while we were fucking, my love. You do recall that is the only time I say your real name." Cora said dragging him into the house.

Derek growled. He was a good person; he didn't deserve to hear that. His baby sister just referred to herself  _fucking_  Stilinski. Derek was sure this is what hell would be like. This was worse than the time Laura gave him the sex/puberty talk AND the time he and Laura sat Core down to give her the same talk put together.

Boyd placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. The man understood his pain. Boyd was his absolute favorite.

"If I ever have to hear about whatever it is you and Malia do in your bedroom, you will no longer be my favorite in-law Vernon Boyd."

Boyd rolled his eyes. "Please. No matter what I say, I will always be your favorite in-law. Because your only other option is Stilinski." He said before running into the house.

Derek growled. He was supposed to be an alpha in this pack, but whenever there were no threats his betas did their best to annoy the ever loving fuck out of him. He needed Erica. Not like they listened to her any better, but at least he'd had someone on his side while she was around.

At this he looked at his phone to see he had two texts from her. One sent immediately after his text and another sent moments ago.

**FROM: ERICA**

**I'm okay. I love you too.**

**FROM: ERICA**

**Be home soon. Had to drop off Bill at home.**

He smiled and put away his phone before walking into the Den, getting lost in the chaos that was his pack. Everyone was laughing and celebrating, and planning a pack sleepover in the theater room. It took a few minutes for a thought to cross his mind.

Had his mate been driving around in his car with a naked, male were-cougar?

Derek Hale was not jealous.

"Derek?" Malia said, "Are you okay? Your eyes are red and you smell like jealously."

He was not jealous.

* * *

**Erica, Boyd, Jackson and Danny were all silent until the arrived in the center of town.

A very naked Bill King stood in front of City Hall. The corpse that was once Henry Maxwell was strung up by his right leg and hoisted onto the flagpole; the right arm was missing, the left leg had a large wound on it and his chest had been clawed open. The sight was terrifying and satisfying at the same time.

"Bill?" Erica asked tentatively; not sure if he had control of his shift, and really not wanting to fight a man who had been held captive for days.

"I had to watch him torture and kill people Erica. You may have seen the dead bodies, but I heard the screams and cries. I couldn't save them; I was weak from wolfsbane poisoning. I could only shield Betty and Richie and keep them from shifting so Maxwell wouldn't start on them." Bill said, not turning around, still staring at the man he had killed. "You don't know what he wanted to do to Betty and Richie. This man deserved this; for killing those people, and for wanting to hurt those cubs. You know Jason is only sixteen; he's considered an adult in were-cat society but he's so young… he might as well be a cub himself. That innocence is gone now, he can't un-see what he saw and be a kid again."

Erica sighed and turned to her betas. "Run back to everyone, tell the Sheriff where he can find Maxwell, and then go home with Derek."

They nodded and left. Once they were gone, Erica walked towards Bill and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, eyes glowing green but otherwise human. "Are you going to attack me Bill?"

"Of course not." Bill said, his eyes dimming to their usual brown. "I just…"

"You wanna sit down for a minute?"

He nodded, and the both sat down on the grass a few feet from the flagpole. Erica was unbothered Bill's nudity. Her male pack members frequently forgot their shirts and loved to 'pants' each other so she'd seen the male form before. She also knew from her experiences with Cora and Malia that people who could shift into animal from were equally comfortable in animal form, in the nude and in clothing. It didn't really matter to them.

They sat in silence until she got a text from Derek. She fired off a response so he didn't worry about her. He probably thought she had killed Maxwell and was shutting him out.

"I can give you a ride home. My Mate's car is right down the street at the Sheriff's station." She told Bill after a few minutes.

Bill nodded and they walked in silence to the car.

"Are you going to declare war on my mother for me taking your kill from you?" He asked after they got in the car.

"No. Honestly, I'm glad you were the one that did it." Erica told him. "I knew he had to die; and I've killed before but I don't like who I am after I take a life, no matter how evil the person was. Derek was willing to do it for me, but it was my duty since Maxwell wanted my beta…I wouldn't let him. The alpha in me…"

"I get it." Bill said. "There's times when my mom has to do things as Pride Leader, and will not allow my Dad or me to help. She gets all red eyed and angry when we offer. It offends her cougar."

"How do you feel?" Erica asked him.

"Different." He said. "Being held prisoner puts some things I've been struggling with into prospective, and killing someone…well I feel great that Maxwell can't hurt anyone anymore but sick that I took a life."

Erica nodded and started the car.

"Erica? Do you mind if we stay here for a few more minutes. I'm not ready to face my parents…Getting Riche kidnapped might have been the final straw for my mother and she might exile me from the Pride once she sees me." Bill asked, sounding broken, nothing like the cocky jerk she knew from high school or the strong protector of the weak he was only minutes ago.

So they sat there for a few moments. "Bill, I have to take you home eventually. Richie and your aunt should be back by now. Your family might be worried about you."

"I know. I'm just afraid of being kicked out."

Erica nodded and started driving to the King residence. "I don't think it will come to that."

"Erica, after I posted that video of you online my mother told me that the next thing I did wrong she'd kick me out. I think getting Richie kidnapped was enough." He said, "Cowardice, and weakness in peer settings is one thing, but weakness in a fight and an inability to protect a cub, that is shameful."

"Would you mother really blame Maxwell's demented actions on you? You thought you were safe, you had no reason to believe otherwise. This whole thing escalated so quickly, no one had much of a warning when he started nabbing people off the streets." Erica reasoned.

Bill didn't have a response to that.

"I think I'm going to quit working for my uncle and father." He said, "I hate the job, and only took it to build Pride unity and make up fro my past mistakes. But being taken has kind of opened my eyes to the fact I can't do what I think my parents want me to do forever."

"What will you do? College?"

"Nope." Bill said, "Never had the interest in college. I was thinking the police academy. Maybe I could do something meaningful, ya know?"

Erica tilted her head to the side. After all the time she spent in the Sheriff's station this week, and the hunting for Maxwell, joining the police force sounded appealing. Being able to help people as a public servant and having a place to go everyday where her role as an alpha did not matter was what she wanted out of a job. She never had given much thought to what she wanted to do after college; but her options (as far as things that required graduate degrees) were limited as an alpha. She needed to stay on Hale territory. But now that Bill had mentioned it; being a police officer had made her list of potential careers.

"Yeah, that sounds great actually." She said as they pulled up in front if the King house.

"Erica, I never really apologized…"

"You don't have to. You were a stupid kid with issues at home. As far as I'm concerned your apology was taking care of my betas when I couldn't and ending Maxwell so I didn't have too." Erica told him, "Clean slate from here on out."

"Thanks." He said, slumping into the seat and staring warily at the door.

"If they do kick you out, which they won't," Erica said, "Come to  _Wolf's Run_."

"Trying to recruit a cougar to join your pack, Reyes?" He said with a grin.

"Trying to help out a friend, King."

"Friend?" he said looking uncomfortable.

"Maybe friend is too much…"Erica said, "Is acquaintance a better description of our new relationship?"

"Acquaintance works." He laughed, but the sound died in his throat as the front door opened. A woman with glowing red eyes stood on the porch, and nine pairs of green eyes stared out from various windows. It seemed the whole King-Cooper Pride was waiting for them.

Mrs. King ran to the passenger side door at were-cat speed, opened it and pulled her son from the car. "Thank Mother Moon you are alive William. I prayed. I love you so much." The woman said, embracing her son. "Thank you for bringing him back to me, Ms. Reyes."

"No problem at all." Erica said with a smile, she didn't think that Mrs. King would be kicking her son out of the Pride as he feared. "Have a good night."

"You too." The woman said, leading her son towards the house.

Erica texted her mate to let him know she was on her way home, and then pulled away from the King home.

* * *

The next afternoon the pack sat around the table in the Den enjoying a late brunch. They had all been so tired after yesterday they had slept the morning away.

There were a few absences in the group.

The Whittemores, once they saw their son had returned safe decided to spend the rest of their time in Beacon Hills in a hotel suite. Apparently Jackson and Kira were…spirited and lively during their nighttime activities and his parents didn't want to endure that again.

John had to be at the station bright and early, to interrogate the hunters and help his deputies build a case against the men that had no mention of the supernatural in it. The only indication of him leaving this morning was Juliet's strong protest that her father was leaving the sleepover.

They all sat around the table laughing and as the meal started to end, discussion turned to whose job it was to clean up the dishes and who would clean up the theater room. No one had noticed the distressed little girl making her way to Erica's side.

Juliet got Erica's attention by pulling on her sleeve. "Alpha." She whimpered, her eyes full with tears. "We is not safe."

That was enough to shut everyone up.

"What do you mean Julie?"

"Fire. Here."

As if that hadn't alarmed everyone in the room, Lydia and Sarah both wailed at that moment.

_Fire. Two dead._

Simultaneously, Erica and Derek stood up and looked to the banshee's for a time estimation. Juliet never knew exactly when her visions happened. She and Derek needed an exact time, not an approximation.

"We don't have long…"Lydia said dazed, with tears in her eyes.

"…maybe minutes, maybe less." Sarah said.

"Bunker. Now." Derek growled, herding their pack down into the basement. The nearest access to the tunnels was in the theater room.

"Faster." Erica added. "Pups and non-wolves in first."

Erica and Derek were at the top of the stairs when the house shook and the top floors exploded into flames. They were thrown a bit at the impact, but we able to steady themselves.

She could smell the flames burning her home down.

The door to the basement was always open, but Derek shut it this time, it was bulky and would give the fire another obstacle, buying them precious time.

As they ran down the stairs, she dialed 911.

" _Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?_ "

"Fire at the Hale Property. Help us. We're trapped." She told the operator, as Derek ran ahead. She entered the theater room to see Melissa and Sarah run into the tunnels and Stiles and Scott being shoved in after them.

" _Fire and police are on their way. Hold on._ "

Erica hung up on the woman, and shut the theater room door. She looked up to see that the blaze was burning through the door at the top of the steps quickly. They didn't have long.

"That door won't hold long." Peter said with haunted eyes, as he, Derek and Cora shoved the betas into the tunnel. Erica mad move to help them, and tried not to think about this being the second Hale fire that Peter was a victim of.

"It will hold long enough." Derek said.

"Run!" Erica yelled to the tunnels. "The further you move in, the more people we can save."

Soon the most of the pack was in, aside from Erica, Derek, their lieutenants and Peter. As soon as there was room, Malia grabbed her father and Rosalyn and shoved them in, and she followed. She entered the tunnel in time; Erica looked behind them and saw that door to the theater room had caught fire. Smoke had filled the room and was making its way into the tunnels. It was quickly getting difficult to see and to breathe.

The blaze and smoke were spreading too quickly; they would never have time for all four of them to get into the tunnels. She squeezed Derek's hand and he squeezed back. They knew what they had to do.

As soon as there was enough room Derek shoved Allison and Cora into the tunnel and Erica pushed the door shut on them. She used her palm print on the keypad to lock it so they couldn't open it again. The door would not catch fire; it had been designed with this purpose in mind. The flames would not touch their pack. If they could survive all the smoke that had made it into the tunnel, they would be fine.

She and her mate would not be fine. Derek pushed her up against the door to the tunnels, using his body to shield her. Erica could hear Cora's cries for her brother, as she and Allison pounded on the door. The door vibrated under their strength, but wouldn't open without Erica or Derek's code.

Both Erica and Derek were crying and staring into each other's eyes, trying not to watch the fatal blaze as it made it's way to them.

"I love you." She told him as they both began to burn. "I love you so much."

He held her closer to him and sobbed. "I love you Erica."

They couldn't speak after that, the pain of the flames was too much. They just stared into each other's eyes until Derek passed out and collapsed into her, pinning her to the door.

Erica had no choice now but to watch as the flames burned her home, her mate and herself to the ground. Her only solace as she too passed out from the pain, was that the pounding at her back had stopped, so her pack had made it further into the tunnels, and were most likely safe in the bunker by now.

Her pack was safe, and she would soon join her mate in the afterlife. Yes, she wanted more time. She wanted to live, but if this is how she had to die…saving her pack…she could be content with that.

* * *

When Sheriff Stilinski arrived at the scene, he fell to his knees and wept. The Den, where his family called home, was engulfed in flames. The sight was devastating.

The fire department was working on putting out the flames but John knew that if someone had been in that den, they were surely dead. Trouble was the fire started around the time that the entire pack (sans himself) would have been in the first floor cleaning up after their meal, recapping their victory over Maxwell. They were most surely dead.

Victoria Argent, having somehow escaped the raid on the Joseph home yesterday was standing at the gate, smiling at the flames holding a rocket launcher, when the rescue vehicles arrived. She was quickly arrested, and Deputy Parrish took over the scene for John letting him grieve.

All that was left for John Stilinski to do was mourn; his wife, his four children, his friends ... his pack were all dead. How was he supposed to go on? Losing Claudia and his parents had been horrible experiences, but he has lost them individually. Never had he lost, nor had he expected to lose so many loved ones at once. He understood now how in his grief, Peter Hale was driven to kill; John was human and the loss of his pack and family was unbearable.

Then he remembered the bunker. There was an access tunnel to the bunker in the basement theater room. They could still be alive!

Fueled by hope, John ran like a madman to the back of the house calling for whoever wasn't putting out the fire to follow him. The next closest access to the tunnels was the pool house. His deputies and the EMTs followed him, and the mood went from grief to optimism`.

They ran toward the entrance, and John punched in his access code (Claudia's birth date). As soon as the door swung open and smoke came pouring from the opening, John started running the tunnels. He didn't have to run far until he came upon a body.

The smoke from the fire that had filled the tunnels, the pack didn't make it to the bunker before passing out; they barely made it to the poolhouse tunnel. John nearly tripped over Connor's little frame, and he noted that there were bodies stretching the length of the tunnel going towards the Den.

He sighed in relief as he felt the body of his youngest son breathing when he picked him up and pulled him out of the tunnel. It seemed that the pups we're shoved in first because their little bodies were the furthest in. As he resurfaced in the pool house and handed Connor to a deputy he yelled for help.

"They're here! They're all here and in bad shape. I need help. Get the ambulances!" He said before running back in the tunnel to get his daughter.

Parrish ran in next to him and grabbed Diego and Raul as John carried Juliet out. He would have to talk to that kid on what type of supe he was later. Now he had a pack to save. The next time they entered the tunnel more deputies joined him along few of the Fire Department, that weren't helping to put out the fire.

As they pulled out pack member after pack member the situation became more clear to John. Whoever was shoving people into the escape tunnels had a method to their madness: First the children, then the non-werewolves. He expected that the rescuers would pull out then the betas and Peter next, then the Thirds and the Seconds and finally the alpha-pair. His theory was confirmed as Stiles and Scott's unconscious forms were pulled out of the tunnel. The EMT's looked over them and gave the Sheriff a thumbs up; his eldest sons were alive.

He grabbed Mel's hand. She was unconscious, yet stable enough for the EMTs not to rush her to the hospital and stay behind to work on the other pack members. John knew that he'd get his ass handed to him when she woke for not staying with one of the kids, but all his children were quick-healers. Seeing his second wife unconscious and fighting for her life scared the shit out of him, and he did not want to leave her side.

 _She's not Claudia._  He kept chanting as he held her hand and watched unconscious body after unconscious body be pulled from the tunnels. With every body they pulled out, the rescue workers looked less and less optimistic.

A cry of "Daddy!" broke him out of his worry for Mel and the others. He looked up to see his youngest child running away from the EMT that had treated him. Connor had recovered quickly; John reasoned that is was because he was the first pulled out and the last to experience the smoke. John knelt down and held out his arms and Connor ran right into them. "Daddy we were so, so scared," the little boy cried, "Lydia and Aunt Sarah wailed."

John stilled. A banshee's wail meant death, or close to death. The last time Lydia and Sarah wailed for the pack Derek died and Stiles came too close to dying. The realization had him clutching his son tighter. He looked towards the tunnels and saw the bodies of Allison and Cora, his daughter-in-laws, being pulled out and the rescue workers emerging stating that there was no one else.

John was flabbergasted. Where were Derek and Erica? They wouldn't abandon their pack. Connor began crying harder, screaming, "Where is my alpha?" as everyone looked on in pity.

After a few seconds everyone got back to work; the EMTs had stabilized the pack and were now getting ready to take them to the hospital. Parrish came by and told him that his pack was all unconscious and in really bad shape; that they would live but needed to be taken to the hospital, where the Doctors and Nurses had already been briefed about the supernatural. On the plus side, The Argents hadn't wiped out the Hale Pack for a second time after all. But it seems that they had succeeded in killing their alphas.

"Members of The Council are on their way to the hospital to consult with the staff on helping to heal wolves, banshees, druids and kitsune." Parrish told John finishing his briefing, "I don't think that we can contain our town secret for long, the doctors and nurses are not going to keep this quiet. The Lane Family has volunteered to lead the Druids in containing the secret to people living in Beacon Hills only."

John nodded as he watched the ambulances speed away and held tight to his crying son. "We can't keep this a secret forever. Especially with Bill King's display last night; people saw him in cougar form, and some think they saw him change. I'm sure most of the town already knows."

"How does this work?" Parrish asked, "If an alpha dies, their power goes to the strongest beta with the closest familial relationship or to their Second. But your pack had two alphas…will this cause a fracture?"

"Son, I have no clue." John said, as his son sobbed harder. "All I know is that Derek Hale has died before and it didn't stick, and Erica is just as stubborn. My thought has always been that those two wouldn't stay dead until they were old and gray."

As fate would have it, the head firefighter chose that moment to run out of the Den. The fire had been extinguished as they were pulling betas out of the tunnels and they were checking the structure for bodies.

"Keep that last ambulance here! I need a medic!" He yelled. " I've got two more. Badly burnt. I can't tell if they are alive."

Connor looked up at him with hope in his eyes. "See Con, our alphas are too stubborn to die." John said walking towards his cruiser and placing Connor in it to wait for him. He didn't want his son to see Derek and Erica.

It took fifteen minutes for the EMTs to emerge from the ruined Den, with the bodies of the Alphas on a stretcher.

They were burnt beyond recognition and their flesh had melded together. The EMTs had to put them on one stretcher because they couldn't separate them. They were in far worse shape than the others were, and were hanging on to life by a thread. When he saw them John doubted his previous assertion; it was a possibility that Derek Hale and Erica Reyes would die tonight. John Stilinski prayed that they did not, for his pack's sake, for his family's sake, for his sake.

After he ended his silent plea he got in his car and drove away from the scene, headed toward the hospital.

He had a pack to watch over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FootNotes:
> 
> * Jackson called Scott and Stiles "Testicle Left and Right" in Season Two.
> 
> ^ Just as a little side note- in case you couldn't tell- It breaks my heart that Isaac and Stiles never became friends and took over Beacon Hills with the power of snark and their mutual love of Da Tru Alpha Scott McCall. Missed opportunity. This show is filled with missed opportunities…but I'm missing Isaac like cray right now, so this ones bugging me more than the others.
> 
> **These two narrations happen in the same time frame.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: hailhaleswriting

Erica did not know what she expected life after death to be; but she did not expect this… waking up on the forest floor, pain free and surrounded by fog.

 

She was in the clearing on _Wolf’s Run_ that held the ruins of the old Hale House. Except here, the house was still standing, and other versions of the same house managed to occupy the clearing without it seaming odd; one version looked like a log cabin, another looked like a simple farm home, another looked like a Victorian mansion but the most prominent one was the one she had seen in pictures from Derek’s childhood.

 

She sat up and looked around for her mate. He wasn’t next to her, and she panicked. Why would they be separated?

 

She then heard the yips and barks and looked through the fog; she was not alone in this clearing. She was not only surrounded by old Dens of her mate’s pack, but the family members that called those places home; she was sitting in a clearing with her mate’s ancestors. She saw silhouettes of men and women starting to form a large semi-circle around her, and silhouettes of wolves making their way in front of them. Most of the individuals had glowing eyes but some didn’t and they all were focused on the silhouette of a man knelt next to a black wolf with glowing red eyes a few feet away from her.

 

Erica stood up and noticed that the man kneeling next to the black wolf was Derek. She let out a sigh of relief that they had not been separated. She couldn’t live an after life without him, especially if she had to live it with his family. Derek stood up and the wolf changed into her human form. Erica noted that most of the wolves in the clearing followed this woman’s lead and shifted except for the pups that were running in a large circle around the group.

 

Erica approached her mate and the woman. At the same time a man and young woman broke off from the semi-circle and made their way towards her mate and the woman. Derek went running towards them when he noticed them.

 

Erica noticed Laura Hale from the photos that Derek kept on his desk. She smiled as the woman caught Derek in a headlock and climbed on his back. Her mate was grinning like a loon. When Laura let go, Derek shook the man that accompanied her’s hand and the man pulled him into a hug. Based on the striking resembling to her mate, she guessed that the man hugging Derek was his father; the man that died when he was a child.

 

Erica was too enraptured to notice that the woman that Derek had knelt next to while she was in wolf form was now standing next to her. She was startled when she turned to see the woman staring at her, assessing her. Staring into those dark eyes and noting the serious brow, Erica didn’t need to guess who this woman was, she knew. She saw those eyes and serious brow on her mate everyday. He had his mother’s eyes.

 

“Hello.” Erica said.

 

_Stupid, Stupid girl. You are meeting your mother-in-law for the first time. A woman you never thought you’d see. Say something more than ‘Hello’._

Before Erica could add anything Talia Hale pulled her into her arms and held her tight. “Hello Erica. So lovely to meet you.”

 

Erica relaxed into the hug and returned it, feeling so welcomed and loved by the woman she had only heard stories of. A woman whose reputation as a great alpha Erica and her mate strived each day to live up to.

 

“I want to meet the woman who tamed my baby brother.” Another voice said from a few feet away.

 

Erica and Talia broke their hug only for Erica to be embraced by her mates elder sister. Erica hugged her back, and looked to Derek, who was now being cuddled by both of his parents. The sight was so beautiful she wanted to cry.

 

“You are so pretty,” Laura said after breaking the hug. “and _young._ Derek Salvador* Hale! Why are you robbing the cradle?”

 

“Laura,” Talia said, “Be nice.”

 

Laura huffed in annoyance.

 

“We are so proud of you son.” Derek Sr. said to Derek, “and you Erica, we couldn’t ask for a better daughter in law.”

 

Erica smiled at him. “Thank you. It is nice to meet all of you. I’m sure we will have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

 

Talia shook her head. “You and Derek are not staying Erica. You do not get a choice in this matter.” Talia said regretfully, “It’s not your time to die children we have to send you back. There will be no peace in Beacon Hills if there is no stable pack present, and without you two, your young pack will fracture.”

 

“Mom, I already resurrected myself once. I can’t do that to Sarah again, and I wont leave Erica.” Derek told her.

 

“She’s not asking you to do either of those things Der-Bear.” Laura said. “The ancestors can send you back. That’s why we are all here. You and Erica aren’t dead. You are _in between_. This is not the after-life.”

 

Derek’s looks turned dark. “If they can send people back if they have died before their time, why are you not alive?” he said with a growl.

 

“You and Core didn’t need me. I didn’t want to go back.” Laura said.

 

Erica growled at the statement. “Do you _know_ what your death has done to your siblings…the survivors guilt and sadness that they overcome each day? Derek and Cora wake up in tears some nights crying for you. Because after the fire took their mother away from them, they had you as a parent; they needed you. And your uncle…I think he would like to know that it was your choice to stay dead. Peter beats himself up that the beast he became after the fire murdered his own flesh and blood. He spent months after his resurrection trying to bring you back.”

 

“Erica…”Derek said, stopping her from continuing. “I think Laura gets it.”

 

Erica breathed in an out slowly, trying to reign in her temper. Her mate pulled her close and hugged her. “If she had a chance to find her way back to you, she should have taken it.” Erica told Derek.

 

“I still can.” Laura said. “Mom and Dad wont let me move on with them, I’ve been stuck here in the _in between_ since I died. Family members have come to visit me, like they are visiting now, but… it’s mostly me here by myself. I check in on the living every so often but it’s sort of painful.”

 

“It’s settled then, you are all going back.” Talia said. “Laura, you wont be an alpha anymore. And you can’t be a Second or a Third.”

 

“I know.” Laura said.

 

“She can be an Elder.” Erica said grasping Laura’s hand as a way of apologizing for yelling at her.

 

Laura smiled. “I’d like that.”

 

“We’ll send Derek and Laura back first.” Talia said. “It will be more difficult, since they have been dead longer. Laura, you will wake up in your tomb in the family mausoleum. You will need to howl for help getting out.”

 

Laura nodded.

 

Derek kissed Erica on the cheek. “I love you.” He said, “I’ll see you soon.”

 

Erica sighed and smiled. “I love you too.”

 

“I’m going to barf.” Laura said, “Thank goodness my mate rejected me. All this sappy stuff is sickening.”

 

Derek Sr. laughed. “Oh, Laurie, I will miss you.”

 

The ancestors stepped forward and howled, “We love you very much.” Talia told her children. “Continue to make us proud.”

 

“Bye Daddy. Bye Mommy. I love you.” Laura said as she and Derek began to fade.

 

“Bye Mom, Bye Dad.” Derek said just before they disappeared.

 

Erica sighed and turned around to see one of the pups that had been running around was trying to sneak up behind Talia and Derek Sr.

 

“Hello.” Erica said to the tiny black wolf. “There are dead children here?” she asked Derek Sr.

 

“No, everyone takes adult form in the _in between_. The pups represent the souls of the next generation of our family. They aren’t allowed to interact with the souls that are supposed to return. This one is just a rule breaker.” He knelt down so he looked the pup in the eye. “Did your grandmother and I not specifically tell you and the others not to interact?”

 

_Sorry Grandfather._ A little girl’s voice said.

 

“Grandfather?” Erica asked, “Is she…mine?”

 

“She could be.” Talia said, “Or Cora’s, Laura’s or Malia’s…we do not know the future here. The pups call all the ancestors Grandfather and Grandmother…Now Erica, let’s get you back home.”

 

The ancestors all howled again and Erica felt herself begin to fade and the pain from the fire return to her gradually. “Goodbye.” She said.

 

At the last second the pup bounded around Derek Sr. and Talia and lunged for Erica.

 

_I wanna come too!_  Was the last thing Erica heard before she only knew pain and unconsciousness.

* * *

 

Cora Hale woke up from her sleep abruptly, alarming the nurse that stood next to her and her mate. “Did you hear that?”

 

“The howl?” Stiles asked. “I thought I imagined it. The voice sounded like you to me. God, Core I thought you died on me.”

 

“Well I didn’t. I’m not going anywhere without you, my love. How long have I been out? Where is Derek?” she asked pulling the wires and tubes that were attached to her off; the nurse throwing her hands up in the air and muttering how she gives up before leaving the room.

 

“We have been at the hospital for a few hours. Docs treated us well on advice from The Council. As for Sourwolf; he and Erica died in the ambulance on the way here, but their hearts started beating and they are healing. Doc says that even with supernatural healing they’ll each be in a coma for a bit.” Her mate said, helping her out of bed. “All the wolves are healed, you and Al needed the most time. Doc says Al will be out longer because technically her body is still in transition. The Banshees, Mom, Bray and Kira are still in the ICU but will be fine.” He finished pointing to the other occupant of the room.

 

Allison lay hooked up to as many machines that Cora had been, and both her mates were asleep beside her in chairs. Cora couldn’t help but feel responsible for Allison’s condition. It was her fears at losing Derek that kept them so deep in the tunnels. Allison refused to leave her behind to and told her that they were in this together, and she couldn’t pull rank on her because they were the same. Allison comforted her as she pounded on the locked door crying for her brother, and stayed with her until the smoke got to be too much for their lungs to handle.

 

Cora shook off the guilt. Someone had howled for help, and her alphas were in comas and her fellow Second was unconscious… She didn’t have time to cuddle with her mate and feel her feelings. It was her duty to investigate who needed help. No one else who could do the job was awake. She pulled off her hospital gown and began to look for something to wear.

 

Malia came running to the room. “That howl. Was it you?” she asked.

 

“No.” Cora said, pulling on hospital scrubs. “Who is unaccounted for?”

 

“No one.” Malia said. “I checked. Everyone is passed out in the ICU waiting room or Derek and Erica’s room.”

 

Rosalyn and Marin came running in after Malia finished. “Marin says you and Malia need to go _Wolf’s Run_ now. She says a spirit followed Erica and Derek back from the dead.”

 

The howl sounded again: _Help me. Please._

“Okay.” Cora said, “Rose, you stay here and look out for everyone. Stiles will help you. Marin, ‘Lia and I will see if what they brought back is friendly or not.”

 

Everyone nodded, and Marin and Malia made their way to the elevators. Before Cora could follow she looked back at her mate. “I love you, Stilinski.” She said running to hug him.

 

“I love you more, Hale.” Stiles told her, squeezing her tight. “Don’t you dare scare me like that again Core. I refuse to lose you.”

 

Cora broke the hugged and kissed him. “I wont. I’ll be extra careful.”

 

“You better be.” He said, “Now go on and ghost-bust.”

 

Cora rolled her eyes and made her way to the elevator where here cousin and Marin were waiting. As they rode down to the ground floor, Cora tried to stop herself from thinking about who the howl for help sounded like.

 

It could never be. Cora was a Hale; she could never be so lucky as to have both her siblings resurrected in the same day.

 

The Sheriff had been outside the hospital making a call and was hanging up as they exited the hospital. “Core? Thank god you’re okay.” He said once he saw her, and hugged her. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

 

“I’ll try.” Cora said with a smile. “Can you drive us to the house? Der and Erica brought something back from the dead with them.”

 

John sighed and started walking toward the parking structure. “Of course they did.” He flailed his arms in exasperation a bit as he walked, muttering about how the supernatural drama would not end. Cora resisted laughing at how alike John and Stiles were as she hopped into the passenger’s seat of the Sheriff’s cruiser.

 

It took less time than it usually would to get to _Wolf’s Run_ because John drove with the sirens on. When they arrived, Cora fought tears when she saw what their Den had been reduced to. It was bad enough having to she her childhood home reduced to ash at ten, but seeing a second family home reduced to ash in a lifetime? It was heartbreaking.

 

John parked next to the garage and Cora fought more tears when she got out and smelt the air: _Ash. Soot. Flesh._ Her brother and his mate had _burned_ to save the pack. And she hated them both for being self-sacrificing idiots.

 

“Braeden and I can restore most of what was lost, given enough time.” Marin said when the exited the car and made their way to the ATVs, “I have even made a few calls to more Druids in town to see if they are willing to help restore the Den to what it was before the fire once they are finished with the town secrecy spell.”

 

Cora nodded and wiped her eyes of tears.

 

“How was she able to use a rocket launcher on the house?” Malia asked, “I still don’t get that. I thought the spells on the property protected us from harm made by man-made weapons.”

 

“There is a loophole.” Marin said quietly, “I didn’t see it before, but the way we worded the protections…the rocket launcher wouldn’t have harmed anyone that calls themselves pack, but she fired it at the Den…the Den is a building. It could harm the Den, and the resulting explosion made fire. Fire isn’t a man made weapon, it’s a force of nature. You cannot magically protect against a force of nature…I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s not your fault.” John said, “How could you have known?”

 

“She couldn’t have.” Cora said hopping on an ATV with Malia, “Now where would a resurrected soul be?”

 

As if the spirit knew they were close, they howled again. _Help me. Please._

 

“That came from the old Hale House.” Malia said starting the vehicle and going towards the trail. Cora held onto her cousin and signaled for Marin and John (each on their own ATVs) to follow them. Of course the spirit was near her old house. Because seeing the ruins of one home today wasn’t enough…she needed to see both.

 

“I can do this you know. You can stay back. Its not too late.” Malia whispered. “I know it’s hard for you. I don’t want you hurt if someone you know has gone evil spirit. Marin and I can take care of this alone.”

 

“No.” Cora told her cousin, “Thanks for the offer. But I don’t think it’s an evil spirit at all. That howl was alive. I think Der and Puppy brought someone back with them. They would never come back and bring something dangerous; they’d stay dead if coming back meant we were in danger. They are overprotective assholes like that.”

 

“Mr. and Mrs. SourWolf…the definition of soulmates.” Malia sighed as they pulled up to the clearing. “You’re right. Probably not dangerous.”

 

They turned off the ATVs and Cora howled. _Where are you? We are here to help._

“ _Cora Amelia Hale.* You get me out of this tomb this instant. I’m running out of air.”_

Cora gasped and ran into the mausoleum, to the only grave marker that didn’t have cremated remains behind it. Derek and Cora couldn’t bring themselves to cremate her, so they placed her in a coffin and put it in the wall. Cora placed her hand on the gravestone.

 

_Laura Marcela Hale_

_Beloved Sister_

“They brought back Laura?” Malia asked.

 

“ _No, they brought back Frankenstien. Cousin, I thought you were smarter. I guess it goes to show you how warped of a perspective you can get when you only look in on people once and awhile. GET ME OUT NOW.”_

“Oh, wow. Even I heard that.” The Sheriff said, “Can you work some magic Marin? I don’t think my gun will get thorough that granite.”

 

Marin nodded and started to chant.

 

_“Marin? As in Marin ‘I’m changing my last name to Morell to piss off my Mom’ Deaton? She’s in the pack? Awesome. Cora, is she still smoking hot?”_

“Laura wants to know if you’re still smoking hot.” Malia told Marin, and Marin blushed. “I want to know if she plans on killing my father when we let her out.”

 

“Malia.” Cora hissed.

 

“ _Baby brother already killed Uncle Petey. Vengeance has been served. Not gonna kill a dude that is trying to make up for his failures and is a pretty good dad to some super rad little cousins of mine. Yeah, I include you in that ‘Lia. You are super rad.”_

“I thought she was thirty one when she died. She sounds like a teenager.” Malia said. “And thanks I guess you are rad too, you know from stories I hear.”

 

“ _I’m young at heart.”_ Laura answered, “ _Cora and Derek were always so serious, even before the fire. Someone needed to balance them out. Enter me. Stage left.”_

“Oh, my god. I know why Stiles doesn’t get on your nerves now.” Malia laughed, “Laura is a bit more eccentric.”

 

“ _Dude, I’ve been dead for a year and a half. Show some respect afores I wolf-kiss you until you are drowning in wolfie drool.”_

 

Cora was so incredibly happy. Derek had brought Laura back and her pack was all alive and well. This day could have ended poorly, but was ending better than it started. Her house could be rebuilt; Marin and the druids could make it look like nothing had ever happened…but this…her sister, was a better end than she could have dreamed of.

 

Earlier, after Derek shoved her into the tunnels she kept thinking how she was the last of her mother’s children on earth now, and even though she had family left, a mate and a pack she felt so _empty._ She had never been an only child. Derek and Laura had always been there for her, guiding her through life. She didn’t know how to live without a sibling. But now she had them both.

 

After the granite flew off, Cora, Malia and John pulled out the casket and Cora opened the lid. She was instantly tackled to the ground. Laura had shifted into her wolf form and was licking Cora’s face.

 

“Laurie, you threatened Malia with this not me!” Cora squealed as the brown wolf** kissed the crap out of her.

 

_Oh sister dear. This is me, greeting you, not punishing you!_ Laura said into her mind.

 

“Shift to human you weirdo. We have to get back to the hospital.” Cora said.

 

Laura shifted back and smiled down at Cora. “Hey, lil’ sis. Missed your face.”

 

“We could tell.” Malia laughed. “Speaking of hospitals, we should get you to one soon.” She said pointing to Laura’s middle.

 

“’Tis but a scratch!” Laura said, touching the wound that went around her body. “It’s healing. I was ripped in half. Such things take time to heal…well hello gorgeous…” Laura said after catching sight of Marin. “You still denying that two women can be mates? I saw that came to bite you in the ass with your niece.”

 

“We’ll talk about this later Laur.” Marin said. “The whole pack is in the hospital. We need to get back and you need healing.”

 

Laura wiggled her eyebrows. “ _Sexual_ healing?”

 

“Oh No. She must never meet my son.” John said, “Or Isaac.”

 

“That will be hard to do Sheriff Stud-ly. Erica made me Elder before we came back. Hard to hide an Elder from her own pack-mates; especially when one is making sweet love to her sister.”

 

“Death hasn’t made you grow up!” Marin exclaimed. Cora witnessed as her sister’s presence slowly made the Druid lose her calm and cool exterior. “This is why I didn’t want to be your mate. Everything is a joke to you! Erica must be crazy to think that you could handle the responsibilities of Elder!”

 

Laura growled and her eyes flashed yellow. “I was responsible enough to raise my younger siblings at twenty one and control my alpha abilities Marin. When your mother and brother wanted to train you to be a Hale Emissary what did you do? Ran away to joined up with that creepy Deucalion guy. I can handle responsibilities and still be who I am, lover. I am not the one who runs away from who she is.”

 

_Did you know about Marin?_ Malia asked her in her mind.

 

Cora shook her head no. This was a big surprise. She always wondered why Laura never mated, and figured that her sister just sacrificed mating selflessly so she could focus on talking care of herself and Derek. Laura gave up a ton for them over the years, so she understood her denying her feelings for someone. She never imagined that Laura had no mate because her mate rejected her, and ran away.

 

“Let’s get going.” John said, looking at the women who were staring fiercely at one another. “Marin, why don’t you run ahead and grab some clothes for Laura from my wife’s closet. She looks about Mel’s size. Then you can ride up front with me on the way back.” John said hand Marin his keys.

 

“Of course Sheriff.” Marin said.

 

“Run away. You’re good at that.” Laura said after Marin left.

 

“Sorry Laurie. I wouldn’t have brought her…”Cora said.

 

“Yes, you would have, she would have insisted on coming.” Laura said. “How did you think she knew Derek and Erica brought a spirit back? Our mate bond was never consummated but she felt it break when I died and felt it build again when I came back. She knew that I was back even if she didn’t tell you…cagey little Druid.”

 

They nodded and made their way to the ATVs. Cora rode back with her father-in-law and Laura rode back with Malia.

 

Marin was waiting by the car with a t-shirt and jeans for Laura, Laura didn’t say a word as she threw them on and took stock of the scene around her. “I can’t believe that Der-Bear built our dream home complete with mini-dens for other pack members who didn’t want to live in the big house. Baby bro is a great alpha.”

 

Cora nodded as the got in the car. “And when we rebuild the Den, there will be a room for you.”

 

“The master bedroom?” Laura said with a smile.

 

“If you are prepared to fight the alpha-pair for it.” Malia shrugged.

 

“Nah. Let Derek and his mate have the big bedroom.” Laura said, “Malia. Could you asked your stepsister to go shopping for those of you that lost everything in the fire and for me? I cant barrow Melissa McCall’s clothes forever, and you and Core aren’t rocking those scrubs as well as you think you are.”

 

“She was online shopping for everyone from her hospital bed when I last saw her. I’m pretty sure that you can just go in and join her when we get back. Once we explain who you are she’ll be happy to help.”

 

“Cool beans.” Laura said, “Now, Cora. I missed a few key points while I was away. And the view from where I was wasn’t in HD if you get my drift. So imagine my surprise when I meet my brother’s mate and she’s so young! Tell me, how much cradle did you let Der-Bear rob? Is this whole thing legal, you know, is she at least a consenting adult and everything?”

 

“She’s nineteen in February.” Cora said, “But this whole thing started…”

 

“Erica was seventeen when Derek bit her.” Malia said.

 

“’Lia!” Cora hissed, “Laura might kill him if she knew… and I’m pretty sure that Derek has used up all his ‘come back to life cards’.”

 

“No, no Cora. Let the girl speak. I wish to know.” Laura said. “Were they frick-fracking while she was underage? Did he turn her against her will? Did he force her to mate with him? Oh my god Malia…is my brother actually an evil jerk?”

 

“He never forced Erica to do anything.” Maila said, “and they didn’t start _doing it_ until well after she was eighteen. But when he turned her…he turned her when he lost control of the alpha because she wasn’t talking her meds and wound up in the hospital…”

 

“And was this her induction into the supernatural world?” Laura said with a dark voice.

 

“Yes.” Cora said, “But everything after the bite was legit Laurie. Please don’t kill him.”

 

“Kill him? Kill him?” Laura said her voice sugary sweet. “I would not kill him. But the boy is in trouble. Alpha or no, I’m still his sister. Mom and I raised him better than that. Derek is getting his butt beat, the little turd. After he heals of course…”

 

Cora was nervous at the look on her sister’s face. Laura always got that look when she was thinking up new and fun ways to punish her younger siblings. Laura was a goofball but she was super strict alpha/parent. Laura had raised them to be good people and wolves. The fact that Derek lost control of his alpha wolf probably upset her to no end, as she had spent most of the last decade teaching Derek control. Maybe Derek and Erica had brought a slightly evil spirit back…but then again Laura always had a bit of Peter in her.

* * *

 

 

Erica was in a coma healing for a week after the fire. She could hear what was happening around her, and she could feel as each cell in her body repaired. She wasn’t able to hear everything that went on around her…sometimes focusing on voices got exhausting, but she understood a lot of what has happening.

 

The whole town knew about supernatural creatures now. Initially the humans freaked out, but once they realized how many friends and neighbors fell into the supernatural category, they realized there was no danger from the people in town. They all even agreed in the end that a spell that would make outsiders unable to hear when someone was speaking about a supernatural community in Beacon Hills was the best; they didn’t want to tell someone that didn’t live in town and have them be a hunter or someone that meant the community harm.

 

The town, humans and supernatural alike, wanted to thank the Hale Pack for their help protecting the community. So in their free time, humans and non-magical supernaturals chipped in to help rebuild the Den, while the Druids and the fae, worked on magically restoring all their belongings (furniture, pictures, knick-knacks, clothing and the like). The work went so quickly, that the pack would be moving back into the Den within the next few days.

 

Laura had integrated into the pack nicely. Everyone loved her. After she punched Peter in the face the first time she saw him, and said _‘we’re cool now Petey’_ , everyone fell in love with her. The only person she didn’t get along fantastic with was Marin, but apparently that was due to Marin’s rejection of their mate-bond ten years ago. Who knew?

 

Laura helped Derek and Erica’s lieutenants keep the pack together while Derek and Erica were in comas and everyone else was recovering. She even made sure that someone was constantly at their bedsides leaching pain from them, since the morphine didn’t work as well on them as it did on humans. It was comforting to know that their pack was safe and well taken care of, and that her sister-in-law was settling into her role as Elder like a pro. Laura spent the most time with them in the hospital room, because the Sheriff and the pack were still working on how to handle her being alive again, since she had been pronounced dead in the official record and that went beyond Beacon Hills.

 

Erica listened as Laura read to the pups of the pack. She was babysitting while the rest of the pack was at the funeral for the victims of Henry Maxwell.

 

“ _Cousin Laura, why did you make it so Erica gets more morphine from the hospital and pain leaching from the pack than Derek does today?_ ” Raul asked.

 

_“Well, because my brother was a little turd when he bit Erica, and I think he hasn’t been punished properly for it.”_ Laura said, “ _I gave him the lecture last night. He knows. Now that I’m used to being alive again, I can get back to disciplining Der-Bear, making sure he’s the best wolf he can be.”_

 

Erica growled. It took a lot of energy and caused her a lot of pain, but was worth it because it made her displeasure of her mate’s treatment known.

 

“ _I don’t think alpha likes that._ ”Juliet said, “ _She loves Boy-Alpha, and won’t want him in pain.”_

_“Yeah, well, tough cookies. Can’t undo what I already did. As soon as the pack gets back he’ll get as much wolfy pain meds as she does.”_

 

_“I want cookies!”_ Connor giggled.

 

_“Nope kiddo. Your mom said no sugar for you today.”_ Laura said, “ _Don’t give me that cute face. Diego make his face stop the cute. Two cookies for you if you make the cute stop melting my heart. Good job covering it with you hand, ingenious idea cousin!”_

_“Cousin Laura, are you in love with Ms Marin?”_ Diego asked.

 

“ _Diego Benjamin Hale, how dare you say such things? Are you trying to make me sad? Take you hand off Connor’s face, that’s rude. Minus two cookies for you!”_ Laura said.

 

Diego was undeterred by her antics, “ _She loves you. She’s just stubborn. Bray told us that she had a long talk with Ms. Marin last night about love and loving a girl_. _I think you’ll be happy soon.”_

_“I thought Juliet saw the future.”_

_“I do. If Diego was making a wrong prediction I’d call him a Dummy and say he was wrong…I’m not doing that right now Ms. Laura.”_ Juliet said. _“Sometimes Diego is a big Dummy, but all boys can be Dummies. Stiles, Scotty and Daddy tell me I should stay away from boys when I get older because they get to be even bigger Dummies.”_

“ _You four are too adorable for your own good.”_ Laura laughed. _“Okay kids, you are all forgiven of your crimes and get two cookies. Just don’t tell your parents where you got them.”_

 

Erica fell back to a deep rest listening to the sounds of her tiny betas laughing, teasing Laura about kissing Marin, and Laura getting fake angry at them.

 

Everything was going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FootNotes:  
> * I made up their middle names. We know from cannon that Derek’s middle name begins with ‘S, and I made his father to be Hispanic in this story… According to my naming source: Salvador is Spanish for “Savior”, Amelia is Latin for “to strive or excel”, and Marcela is Spanish for “young warrior”  
> ** Hale Wolf-Wolf Forms: Hale women can shift into wolves. Talia’s wolf form was black, so is Cora’s, Malia’s is Silver, and Laura’s is brown.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As for a Sequel… I have no set plans for a full story, but while writing 17 and 18 I have a bunch of ideas for snapshots of Erica’s life post Hale Fire. I’m thinking about posting “Life and Times of a She-Wolf” (tentative title) and have it be a series of ficlets that happen in the Teen She Wolf Verse. These tiny fics will be ideas from me or prompts that readers submit to me. I AM NOW ACCEPTING PROMPTS FOR “Life and Times of a SheWolf” via message, review of my writing tumblr.

* * *

Two weeks after the fire Erica was finally healed enough to open her eyes. The first thing she did when she noticed the empty hospital room was look to her right. She knew from listening to the pack that Derek had opened his eyes a few days earlier and was able to speak in small sentences. She knew that he was okay; she felt that he was healing through their bond, but she needed to see it for herself.

 

“Derek.” She whispered, her throat burning.

 

“Erica, don’t speak yet.” He rasped. “Your vocal chords are still healing.”

 

Erica glared at him for telling her what to do. “I’ll talk if I want. Were you watching me while I slept?” She said changing the topic and ignoring the pain in her throat.

 

“Think of it as, I was making sure you didn’t die on me. I was worried you were never going to wake up.” He said with a smile.

 

“Creep.” She said playfully.

 

“Oh! Can we tell creepy Derek stories?” Stiles said, entering the room with Cora, Scott, Isaac and Allison carrying large take out bags. “When the rest of the pack gets here we should do that.”

 

Cora went straight to her brother’s bedside and climbed up next to him. “Did the nurse clear you for solid food yet Der? We brought Chinese food. There's more on its way.”

 

Derek nodded to his sister.

 

Erica’s stomach grumbled and she looked at the bags they held. “Sorry Erica, Doctor says no solid food for you for a few days.” Alison informed her, noticing that her alpha was eyeing the food.

 

Erica growled at this. She was an alpha; she could do what she wanted.

 

“Humor us Puppy?” Isaac said, “We almost lost you and Derek. Let the doctors and the pack nurse you back to health and then you can boss us all around when you’re healed. Deal?”

 

“Deal.” Erica said grudgingly.

 

Slowly the entire pack came into the room, and Erica noticed that the pack had gotten her and Derek placed in one of the largest hospital rooms she had ever seen. It was large enough for all twenty-seven of the Hale Pack to situate themselves around the room comfortably for a meal. The pups, Laura and Cora had settled in on Derek and Erica’s hospital beds; the male betas set up in the middle of the floor on picnic blankets; Marin, Peter, Sarah, John, Melissa, Lydia and Kira were sitting at the table that was on the far side of the room, and Rose, Allison and Malia were sitting in the chairs that had been placed by the hospital beds.

 

Erica watched as the pack ate happily while giving Derek grief about his creepiness.

 

“Scott, remember when I had to go home for a few nights so you were in the dorm alone, and we were skyping? All of a sudden I look closely in the background and told Scott there was someone behind him…lo and behold it was Sourwolf!” Stiles said

 

“Or how when we were still turning he would follow us around campus like a stalker to make sure we didn’t tear any faces off.” Jackson said, “One time I spotted him standing under the bleachers of lacrosse practice the week that Danny was bitten.”

 

“Remember when we all lived in separate places while _Wolf’s Run_ was under construction and Derek was extremely allergic to doors? The allergy was so severe that he would climb in windows, no matter how high they were?” Lydia asked, “I’m glad you got over that.”

 

“When he was a kid, he used to walk into rooms and stare at people until they got freaked out and left. I could never have friends over because of my creepy little brother.” Laura laughed.

_“_ I think Erica wins with creepy Derek stories.” Allison said, turning to Derek “You were so awkward and creepy in the first week or two we knew her.”

 

Erica nodded. “He turned me in the morgue.” before anyone could respond she started coughing.

 

Juliet tisked from her place at Erica’s side. The boy pups wanted to cuddle her but Juliet won _rock, papers scissors_ against them so they sat near her legs and feet instead. “Mama said that you shouldn’t be talking Alpha Erica. Mama is a nurse she knows what is best.” The little beta said reaching for Erica’s ice water. “Drink.” She ordered.

 

Erica drank and everyone continued with the conversation, agreeing that Erica did in fact had the creepiest Derek story.

 

The meal continued with updates on the town and pack.

 

The residents of Beacon Hills seemed to be adjusting to the supernatural secret very well. There had been no riots, and no violence. People had questions and were still a bit shocked at the news, but were mostly happy that the town was safe again. Beacon Hills had pretty much continued on as normal after the big reveal.

 

Laura had been officially declared alive after Danny planted a fake birth certificate of Laura’s identical twin. He then made the official records show that the police made a mistake in identifying the body; the dead woman was Laura’s twin, not Laura. With her newly resurrected status, she could go back to work. She was thankful that Derek had everything in hand at being CEO, because she had hated that job and always wanted to put her teaching degree to good use. As it happens the old high school English teacher had been Dr. Joseph’s sister-in-law, and the school had an opening after her death. Laura Hale was helping to shape young minds; many were terrified for the youth.

 

Cora, Stiles, Malia, Boyd and Laura had moved back into the den this past weekend after spending the time in guest rooms of the other houses at _Wolf’s Run_. Braeden and Rose then teased Laura and Marin about Marin sneaking into the den the last few nights. Apparently Laura and Marin were working on their issues.

 

Everyone was doing fine, considering what they had been through as a pack. Erica heard a few reports of nightmares, and panic attacks, but no more than expected. The whole pack had went back to school and work a week ago, under orders from all five of their Elders that a routine would help people cope. Marin had asked the town druids to help her fix the loopholes in her and Alan’s original spell so an incident such as this would never happen again. With Marin’s new protections and the resuming of their daily lives the pack was slowly recovering from the trauma with a few exceptions.

 

Peter had looking out for everything at Hale Holdings for Derek, doing his job own job as CFO and Derek’s job as CEO at once. There were concerns that Peter was throwing himself into work to avoid his feelings over being caught in another Hale Fire, but Sarah insisted that he was talking about it with her privately so there was no need to worry. Erica worried, and from the looks of it so did Raul who was constantly turning around to make sure his father was still in the room.

 

There was nothing that she could do to heal Peter or anyone else in the pack that was still traumatized from the fire. She was stuck in the hospital. Plus, there were scars that only time could heal. The only thing that she could do was make sure that her pack was as safe as possible so the chances of something like this happening again were low.

 

The Argents and the other hunters were in jail, awaiting trial that would send them to jail for a long time. They couldn’t hurt her pack anymore. She was grateful for that because all she wanted was her pack to be safe and happy.

 

She turned to her mate and smiled before falling back to sleep. 

 

* * *

**_2 months and 2 weeks later_**  

* * *

 

It had taken another week and a half before the doctors felt comfortable enough releasing Erica and her mate from the hospital. It had taken an additional week after being released before they were cleared to return to work and school.

 

Missing more than a month and a half of her first semester in college was not ideal, and there was no catching up to the class once she was cleared to go back. Though it pained her, Erica had to drop out of school. At first she had been heartbroken, but now she saw that being an alpha, even in peacetime was a fulltime job. She didn’t know how her mate was able to run his company while still being the great alpha he was until she noticed that he didn’t bring his work home with him. Being a student demanded every spare minute of the day, and more effort if you had to miss lectures. They didn’t take into account that being an alpha werewolf was important to the town’s safety.

 

It was then she decided that she needed a career that wouldn’t demand that she give up time being an alpha, mate, and friend and would be understanding of her duties. She decided that working for the Sheriff’s department would be perfect. She would be able to protect and serve Beacon Hills as a deputy, and her boss would understand if her duties as an alpha had her missing work on occasion. Her duties as alpha would also overlap with her duties as a deputy. So she decided to sign up for the next academy class.

 

She was on her way out of the station when she smelt the smell of wolfsbane and gunpowder flowing from three SUVs that were driving slowly down Main Street with their windows down. People on the street human, and supernatural alike glared at the cars as they went down the road towards the hotel. Everyone that had a supernatural sense of smell was whispering the word _‘Hunters’_ in warning to everyone else. No one was happy that the peacetime was about to be interrupted.

 

Derek and Peter were miles away at work. They would be late home because Thanksgiving was in two days and they wanted to get everything done so they could spend the holiday weekend as a pack. Most of the other pack members were in school or work; she didn’t want to call them for help. They all had things to wrap up for the holidays, and had missed enough school as it was, she didn’t want to be the reason her pack had to drop out of school like she had to.

 

Erica and been shadowed all day by her best bro Connor (expect for that hour earlier that the sheriff Connor-napped him for lunch when she was filling out academy paperwork). She didn’t want to take the little guy straight into the Hunter’s Den, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She didn’t know most of the deputies on duty at the moment, and Connor didn’t do well with new faces. So she went to the car and called the Sheriff, who had gone out on a call.

 

“Sheriff, there are hunters in town. Meet me at the hotel off Main Street, they were on their way there.”

 

_“I should have known it was too quiet around here…”_ John grumbled before hanging up.

 

Within minutes, Erica pulled right up in front of the hotel, and carried Connor in on her hip. She refused to leave him in the car unsupervised.

 

The group of hunters was standing at the front desk arguing with the woman about getting rooms. Erica recognized her as Denise Cameron, were-tiger and mother of Betty Cameron (who had been kidnapped by Maxwell and rescued by the pack). Connor knew Denise from the visits she, her family and many other supernaturals paid to her and Derek while they were in the hospital.

 

“What do you mean you can’t give us rooms?” The leader said. “The parking lot is not full, we know you have vacancies.”

 

“Actually we don’t Mr. Argent.” Denise said, “Thursday is a holiday. Even if it wasn’t we do not allow criminals or their families in this hotel.”

 

“Criminals?” the man said, “My family is not a family of criminals! We are here to protect this town.”

 

Erica walked behind the desk with Denise and handed Connor to her. “Ms. Cameron, please call for Mayor Peirce* and Judge Greenberg and tell them that Sheriff Stilinski is on his way with some deputies. Tell them about the situation and stay in the office with Connor until its safe to come out.”

 

“Yes, Ms. Reyes.” Denise Cameron said, taking Connor with her.

 

“This town doesn’t need your protection, all your kind has done to this town is murder innocent citizens.” Erica told the group of men and women.

 

“Little girl, don’t speak to me like that.” The man said, “Do you even know who I am?”

 

“Do you even who I am, Matthew Argent? Yes, I know who you are we’ve been expecting you ever since Chris and Victoria were locked up for good.” Erica said, letting her eyes give off the red glow of an alpha. “I’m one of the Alphas of the Hale Pack, and this town is under our protection, from the likes of you and anyone else who wishes to harm the people who live here.” The hunters all raised their weapons and Erica raised her eyebrow. “Are you threatening me? You come to my town and threaten me Argent?”

 

“In case you haven’t noticed little girl, you are out numbered. I don’t see your pack anywhere. Or your mate. I can threaten you all I want.” Matthew Argent said.

 

“I’m not as alone as you think I am.” Erica said sweetly, letting her claws and fangs drop, “You see this town is full of more creatures than your little bestiaries can hold, not to mention the humans that are our friends, family and neighbors. If you harm me, or anyone, you will not make it to the town border alive.”

 

“Humans would never accept monsters living in their town.” Argent said.

 

Erica rolled her eyes. “Not everyone is as small minded as hunters are. Every species has the good and the bad. You just need the critical thinking skills to help you determine which is which.”

 

Before Argent could respond the Sheriff and his deputies entered. “Put down you weapons!” They yelled.

 

As the Argents holstered their weapons the Mayor and the Judge walked in. “As much as I’d like to say to lock them up Sheriff, they haven’t done much wrong. And frankly I don’t want this vermin in town a moment longer.” Mayor Peirce said turning to the Argents, “I’m human, my husband is fae. Not even a magical fae, his blood is just a bit different. Some of my children came out like him and others like me. I never thought of the difference until the day they found the body of my son Gavin drained of blood. Maxwell, your brother and your sister in law, saw it fit to torture my son and many others just because they were different. They may have been different but they were all kind loving individuals who never harmed anyone. They were more human than you are.” She said to them, before turning to the Judge.

 

“The best we can to is have the Sheriff and his deputies escort them out of town and confiscate their illegal weapons.” Judge Greenberg said, “They haven’t done anything but confront Alpha Reyes. They may ignore their code when they see fit but we can not ignore ours.”

 

“I can promise if another Argent hunter comes to my town again, they will not be leaving. They have killed too many innocents and tried to exterminate my pack.” Erica said, “I should not be expected to let them off twice.”

 

“No, you should not.” The Mayor said, “But for now, this is the right thing to do.”

 

“We will be back for our heir.” Matthew Argent said, grasping at a reason to come back seeing that his battle had been lost.

 

“You will have no heir.” Erica said, “Officially, Allison was never an Argent. And she is my beta now; any child she produces will be wolf. Even if they weren’t, I would never let a child born of my pack, human or otherwise, be taken from its parents to be raised by psychotic murderers…You may want to rethink the family business Argent. Without a female to lead you are just a bunch of little boys running around committing wrongs against people whether they committed crimes or not.”

 

The Argents looked shocked at her monologue but did not say a word. They simply glared at her as the sheriff and his deputies escorted them to their cars. Erica stood in front of the hotel and watched as the police escorted the hunters out of town. She held back a laugh upon seeing that Main Street was lined with townspeople, all shouting at the hunters to never come back.

 

Connor ran up to her and tugged on her pant legs. “We is still going on super secret trip?”

 

Erica nodded and picked up her tiny beta. “Thanks for watching him.” She told Denise.

 

“My pleasure.” Denise said, “Do you mind me asking about this super secret trip?”

 

“I’ve made some decisions about my life in the last few months. I know what I want and I’m not afraid of taking it anymore worrying about human customs.” Erica told the woman with a smile. “I have a surprise for Derek on Thanksgiving that will show him that I’m ready to take the next leap with him.”

 

Denise smiled. “Good luck Alpha Reyes… Or should I say Alpha Hale?”

 

Erica laughed. “I have to get him to say yes first!”

 

* * *

 

 

“No, no, no!” Derek yelled.

 

Erica’s heart broke at the first no. She just got down on one knee in front of him in front of their pack and proposed, and now she looked like a fool. She thought they were in love, she thought for sure he’d say yes. She knew that the only reason he hadn’t proposed yet was because he was afraid of moving too fast for her. But she wanted this, so she proposed. She wanted to be his wife. They were already bound supernaturally, but she wanted to be his partner in the human way.

 

The pack had lost their mind when Derek said no, they had all jumped up from the table and were growling at Derek. Even they were surprised.

 

“What do you mean no, Derek Hale.” She said with a growl snapping the box with the silver wedding band in it closed.

 

Derek looked confused at why everyone looked like they were planning his murder. “I didn’t mean ‘no’ as in I don’t want to marry you. I meant ‘no’ in disbelief that you beat me to it.” He said pulling a similar jewelry box from his pocket. “I was waiting until after everyone finished eating. I can’t believe we had the same idea...”

 

Laura threw her fork at Derek’ head. Which lead to many other pack members throwing items in Derek’s general direction and calling him names.

 

“Derek Hale, if you ever hurt my Puppy again like that again, even if you didn’t mean it, My minions** and I will harm you. ” Laura growled, pulling Erica into a hug. “Don’t pay attention to my turd of a brother. He can be unbelievably stupid.”

 

“I wanted to ask first!” Derek said, sounding like a petulant child.

 

Erica glared at him. Did she actually love this man and want to spend the rest of her days with him? Hell yes, even if he was being a petulant jerk. She unfortunately loved every thing about him. “Well I asked first. Derek Hale will you marry me? Yes or No. And if the answer is no, one ‘no’ will suffice. You don’t have to yell it three times, you jerk.”

 

“Yes, Erica. Of course I’ll marry you.” He said standing us to hug her and kiss her.

 

Many catcalls and wolf whistles followed as they kissed and made up.

 

* * *

**_2 additional months later_ **

* * *

 

Erica had imagined having a small wedding when she was growing up. She wasn’t really close to her extended family, so she always imagined that her side of the aisle would just be her parents. She also never imagined that she be an alpha werewolf and marrying the alpha werewolf that turned her. But here she was, two weeks after her nineteenth birthday, without her mother to help her prepare, or her father to walk her down the aisle and she could hear the hundreds of people that were invited to the wedding in the yard.

 

In the last few months she had been so busy with the police academy and alpha-ing she had let Laura do the planning. As the guest list got larger Erica found that she didn't care how big the wedding got. As long as her pack was there and Derek was at the other end of the aisle... she could care less who else saw. She just wanted to say I do.

 

Laura had recruited a few pack members to assist her in the planning. Apparently the marriage of a Hale Alpha was big news in the wolf community. They had to invite many people as to not offend anyone and keep alliances between packs strong. Peter and Laura knew about alliances and whom they needed to invite (by the way, now that Laura was over Peter killing her, the two of them were hella scary as a team). It was also their idea to invite the whole town. It made sense since they all knew. The alpha pairs wedding meant a lot to many of the people of Beacon Hills. Lydia had recruited herself to help to make sure the event was stylish enough, as she didn't trust her stepfather and cousin to make the ceremony beautiful. _Wolf’s Run_ was the only place in town that made sense with the large guest list. The wedding itself was taking place on the training fields at moonrise, and the reception would take place to the right of the den under large tents. Lydia had went all out with the decorating and she and Laura were a menace when it came to what the pack was wearing.

 

When they realized that everyone couldn’t be in the bridal party, Laura quickly decided that they would all wear what the bridesmaids and groomsmen were wearing to distinguish them as pack. The invitations to the wedding were enclosed with a formal request from Laura Hale to not wear dark blue, because that was what the pack was wearing. Erica thought it a bit ridiculous, as everyone in town knew who was pack, and the people from out of town would be able to smell it, but let her sister in-law and Lydia do what they wished. She was happy as long as she got to pick her own dress.

 

“You look beautiful.” Melissa said, after helping Sarah zip and clasp Erica into her wedding gown.

 

The bridal party was set up in the new theater room (Derek and his groomsmen had been in Derek’s Study getting ready). Everyone was finishing up their make up, making sure they had all had their bouquets and laughing. Erica, Melissa and Sarah were in the corner behind a dressing screen staring at each other in the mirror.

 

“Stunning.” Sarah added.

 

Erica smiled at both women, looking at them standing behind her in the mirror. While she was sad her mother was robbed of this day with her, she was glad that Melissa and Sarah, the pack mothers, were able to be here with her. “Thank you for everything.” She told them.

 

“Don’t cry Erica. You will make me cry, and then Mel will cry and then the entire bridal party will be in tears.” Sarah said taking out a tissue and wiping at a tear that was forming in the corner of Erica’s eye. “There. Perfect again.”

 

“Okay.” Mel said, “All set. Sarah and I are going to take our places now. John will be in soon after he and Laura go over Julie and Con’s role with them.”

 

“I’m sorry that there can’t be three ring-bearers and more bridesmaids. Are you sure you guys are fine with this? And that Raul and Diego are fine with this?” Erica asked.

 

“They are fine. My sons honestly just wanted tuxes that matched Peter’s and they got that. They are happy to be in the front row with Mel and John.” Sarah said, “And the nine bridesmaids you have is enough, Mel is fine with watching and I am content with my role.”

 

“That’s true. Don’t worry about our feelings Erica, they aren’t hurt.” Mel said before both women kissed her on the cheek and left.

 

After they left Erica peaked out from behind the screen and observed her bridal party. They were slowly leaving one by one.

 

“See you out there Puppy. We have to go line up with the boys.” Cora yelled towards Erica’s direction, as she and Laura took Juliet and Connor’s hands. When the four of them left the room, John looked over to her.

 

“Are you ever going to come out from behind that screen Deputy?” He said with a smile.

 

Erica laughed and grabbed her bouquet before stepping out from behind the screen. “What do think John?”

 

“You are one beautiful bride Erica. I’m honored you asked me to give you away today.” He said holding out his hand to her.

 

Erica took his hand and held back tears. “Thank you again for doing this. Since my mom and dad died, you Mel and Sarah have…”

 

John stopped her from speaking. “It has been our pleasure. We will always be here for you and anyone else in the pack that is parent-less.” He said, “Now stop trying to cry. Mel warned me that you have been weepy lately. This is a happy day Erica; don’t ruin this for me. This is the only time I’ll walk someone down the aisle and give them away.”

 

 “What about Julie?” Erica said confused.

 

“Scott, Stiles and I have already decided that she won’t be allowed to date or get married.” He told her seriously, as they began to walk up the stairs and towards were the wedding party was lined up.

 

Erica laughed and held tight to his arm as the got nearer and nearer to the field. She could hear all the guests chatting away and she stared to get nervous. What if she tripped? What if Derek decided not to show up? Oh my god! What if he left her at the altar and ran away with a wolf from one of the visiting packs?

 

She was snapped out from her panic by the whispers of her pack.

 

“ _…shut up Core. I know that smell, mom smelt like that before both you and Der were born. Pregnant she-wolves smell like that.”_ Laura said

_“You ladies weren’t kidding. She smells like she bathed with one of those flowery body washes that makes our noses itch.”_ Stiles said, _“That’s what knocked up smells like?”_

Someone was pregnant. “Who are you guys talking about?” She asked as Erica and John caught up to the group. She couldn’t smell what they were talking about, must be someone that had passed by before she came out of the house.

 

“No one.” They all chorused.

 

“Oh my goodness! You look stunning!” Allison said. Everyone else muttered their agreement. Erica felt all her worries melt away

 

“Seriously Puppy, its not to late to run away with me.” Isaac joked.

 

“Are you positive that you love SourWolf? Because once you say ‘I Do’ I really don’t think you’d be able to get rid of him.” Stiles said.

 

Erica laughed as the music began and the guests began to quiet. “They’re playing your song guys. Hurry up. I want to marry my Sourwolf today.”

 

Juliet and Connor went down the aisle first they were soon followed by Peter and Braeden; Laura and Isaac; Stiles and Cora; Malia and Boyd; Aiden and Lydia; Rosalyn and Ethan; Scott and Allison; Kira and Jackson; and Danny and Marin. Once Danny and Marin had lined up, the music changed.

 

“Showtime Deputy.” John said standing up straighter. “You ready for this?”

 

Erica nodded as the guests stood up and they began walking down the aisle. The moment she saw her mates smiling face at the end of the aisle the last of her worries melted away.

 

The walk started off as her dragging John along before the laughter of her guests and a _‘slow down kid, I’m old’_ let her know what she was doing.  Her excitement to get to Derek was a comedic moment for all in attendance. She slowed down and let John set the pace after that. She didn’t let her mild embarrassment at her running start down the aisle stop her from smiling and being excited. It was her wedding day she was allowed.

 

Once they had finally reached the altar, John took his seat in the front row with Mellissa, Raul, Diego, Juliet and Connor. Erica stepped up and took her place across from Derek, handing her bouquet to Braeden. The music stopped as Erica took her place and the officiator began to speak.

 

“I’d like to welcome you all today as we celebrate the union Derek Salvador Hale and Erica Regina Reyes.” Sarah^ said, “We gather here, on our pack’s land, at moonrise to celebrate their love and thank Mother Moon for bringing these two amazing people together. Derek, would you like to say a few words?”

 

Derek smiled at Erica lovingly before going through his speech. “Erica, from the moment I knew you existed my world became a better place. I had hope for the first time in a decade. Instead of a future filled with pain and loss I saw happiness. My world has brightened with you at my side. Even in the darkest of times, all I needed to know is that you were with me. I cannot dream of a better partner in life. And I look forward to spending every single day of my life with you. I know it wont always been easy, it has never been easy for us, but if we are together I know we can make it through anything. I love you more than anything I’ve ever known Erica Reyes, and I always will.”

 

“Derek, I’m so happy that we found each other. I admit that our relationship didn’t have the best beginning, but despite that I’ve come to treasure every moment I have with you. We have conquered so much for each other, for our pack and built this amazing life. I’m so glad we’ve made it here and very excited for all the tomorrows we have ahead of us. I know that we can do anything as long as we are together. I love you Derek Hale and I will love you the rest of our lives into whatever the afterlife has in store for us.”

 

Erica smiled as Derek stepped forward and went in for a kiss. Peter pulled him back with a laugh and a ‘ _not yet nephew’_ , and all the guests began to laugh.

 

Sarah simply smiled and continued on with the ceremony. “Here tonight we ask Mother Moon to shine her light upon Derek and Erica as they make their vows in front of their pack, friends and members of the community. Derek, would you please repeat after me… I Derek Salvador Hale take you, Erica Regina Reyes…”

 

“I Derek Salvador Hale take you, Erica Regina Reyes…”***

 

“…To be my lawfully wedded wife…”

 

“…to be my lawfully wedded wife…”

 

“…to have and to hold from this day forward…”

 

“…to have and to hold from this day forward…”

 

“…for better or for worse…”

 

“…for better or for worse…”

 

“…for richer or for poorer…”

 

“…for richer or for poorer…” 

 

“…in sickness and in health…”

 

“…in sickness and in health…”

 

“… to love and to cherish…”

 

“… to love and to cherish…”

 

“…in this life and the next…”

 

“…in this life and the next…”

“Erica, would you please repeat after me…I Erica Regina Reyes, take you Derek Salvador Hale…”

 

“I Erica Regina Reyes, take you Derek Salvador Hale…”

 

“…To be my lawfully wedded husband…”

 

“…to be my lawfully wedded husband…”

 

“…to have and to hold from this day forward…”

 

“…to have and to hold from this day forward…”

 

“…for better or for worse…”

 

“…for better or for worse…”

 

“…for richer or for poorer…”

 

“…for richer or for poorer…” 

 

“…in sickness and in health…”

 

“…in sickness and in health…”

 

“… to love and to cherish…”

 

“… to love and to cherish…”

 

“…in this life and the next…”

 

“…in this life and the next…”

“May I have the rings please?” Sarah asked Peter and Braeden, who had already taken the rings from Connor. They both handed the simple silver bands to Sarah. Sarah gave Derek’s band to Erica, and Erica’s band to Derek. “Derek, please repeat after me while you place the ring on Erica’s finger….  _With this ring I thee wed, before these witness I thee wed, by the grace of Mother Moon I thee wed_.”

 

“With this ring I thee wed, before these witnesses I thee wed, by the grace of Mother Moon I thee wed.” Derek said with a smile while slipping her ring on her left ring finger next to her engagement ring.

 

“Erica, please repeat these words…. _With this ring I thee wed, before these witness I thee wed, by the grace of Mother Moon I thee wed.”_

 

“With this ring I thee wed, before these witnesses I thee wed, by the grace of Mother Moon I thee wed.” She said, sliding the ring she used to propose to Derek back onto his finger.

 

“Does anyone have any reason as to why these people should not be married?” Sarah asked.

 

_“If they do, I will beat them up.”_ Laura whispered from behind Erica. Many pack members echoed Laura’s thoughts on the matter.

 

No one stood up. “Aright then. Derek Salvador Hale, Do you take Erica Regina Reyes to be your mate and wife?”

 

“I do.”

 

“Erica Regina Reyes, do you take Derek Salvador Hale to me your mate and husband?”

 

“I do.”

 

“Then, by the power given to me by the State of California and as Elder of the Hale Pack, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Derek, now you can kiss Erica.”

 

Erica barely heard Sarah finish her sentence, because Derek’s lips were on hers as soon as his aunt said _‘kiss’_.

* * *

 

**AN: I was going to put a scene from the reception in here…but its not finished yet…It will be in chapter 18 though! One more chapter left!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TW or the characters, just my AU/AR. (and MY OCs). Also FYI, this is un-betaed, so all the mistakes are mine.**

**Thoughts? Questions? Leave a review below or an ask on my tumblr.**

**Check out my tumblr (** hailhaleswriting **) Or visit** allhailhales DOT webs  DOT com / teen-wolf **for bonus info and updates on this fic and others.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FootNotes:  
> *Gavin Peirce was a blue blood fae found dead in chapter 13. The Mayor is his mother.  
> ** Laura, Stiles and Isaac have become besties. They cause many headaches for their pack mates. She calls them her minions.  
> ^Typically Derek or Erica officiate pack weddings, but since this is their wedding, an Elder does it. Sarah made the most sense to me because she was the only elder with the last name of Hale who wasn’t in the wedding party.  
> ^^Here is some notes on who does what in the wedding (in case you get lost in my descriptions):  
> Groom: Derek Hale  
> Bride: Erica Reyes  
> Best Man: Peter Hale  
> Maid of Honor: Braeden Deaton  
> Officiates Ceremony: Sarah Martin-Hale  
> Bridesmaids: (1) Laura Hale, (2)Cora Hale (3)Malia Tate (4)Lydia Martin (5)Rosalyn Perez (6)Allison McCall-Lahey (7)Kira Yukimura (8)Marin Morell  
> Groomsmen: (1) Isaac Lahey (2) “Stiles” Stlinski (3)Vernon Boyd (4)Aiden Jones(5) Ethan Jones (6) Scott McCall (7) Jackson Whittemore (8)Daniel “Danny” Mahealani  
> Flower Girl: Juliet McCall-Stilinski  
> Ring Bearer: Connor McCall-Stilinski  
> First Row: Diego Hale Raul Hale Melissa McCall ,John Stilinksi (walks Erica Down the aisle), Juliet and Connor  
> *** Underlined text is Derek (or Erica) repeating the words that Sarah says first. I didn’t want to break up this section by putting “Sarah said” or “Derek/Erica Said” after each part


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> final chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own TW or the characters, just my AU/AR. (and MY OCs). Also FYI, this is un-betaed, so all the mistakes are mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: last chapter! : ( To all of you readers, reviews, followers and favorite-ers thank you all for going on this journey with me! 
> 
> Sequel? I have no set plans for a story like TSW or ASW, but while writing 17 and 18 I have a bunch of ideas for snapshots of Erica’s life post Hale Fire. I’m thinking about posting “Life and Times of a She-Wolf” (tentative title) and have it be a series of ficlets that happen in the Teen She Wolf Verse. These tiny fics will be ideas from me or prompts that readers submit to me. I am NOW ACCEPTING PROMPTS FOR “Life and Times of a She-Wolf” via message, review or my writing tumblr.
> 
> Thoughts? Questions? Leave a review below or an ask on my tumblr.  
> Check out my tumblr (hailhaleswriting) Or visit allhailhales DOT webs DOT com / teen-wolf for bonus info and updates on this fic and others.

Laura Hale and Lydia Martin knew how to throw a party. Everyone at the reception was laughing and celebrating. There was dancing, feasting, telling stories, children were playing and Erica saw many pack mates, residents of Beacon Hills, and visiting wolves run into the woods while stripping off clothing so they could chase each other while shifted.

 

“Just how much wolfsbane did you but into the alcohol?” Erica asked Laura from her seat at the table. Erica and Derek had just sat down after finishing their first dance as a married couple. The night had been wonderful so far. They had already greeted every guest personally during the meal, tossed the bouquet (caught by Allison) and the garter (caught by a wolf from the Turner Pack), and had their first dance. All that was left to do was enjoy the celebration.

 

“Enough.” Laura shrugged.

 

A waiter came by and offered Derek and Erica champagne. Erica had not had the time to drink anything but water and that was back when she had her meal. She was thirsty and wanted to enjoy the drunkenness wolfsbane and alcohol would produce.

 

Laura grabbed the champagne flute from her hand and poured it out.

 

“Hey!”

 

“You are the police now, dearest sister-in-law. You can’t be doing illegal things, even at your own wedding.” Laura said flicking her on the nose. “Bad Puppy.”

 

Derek groaned. “Laura… how many times do I have to tell you not to flick anyone on the nose?”

 

“Der-Bear…how many times do I have to tell you that I’ll do what I want and you cant stop me?” Laura said before kissing them both on the cheek. “Now if you’ll excuse me there is a fetching Druid standing by the bar that is going to be screaming my name tonight.”

 

Derek made gagging noises at this comment.

 

Erica simply laughed and observed her surroundings. Her whole pack was either dancing, running around with other children avoiding bedtime, mingling with guests or running around the property in their wolf form. This was the first time since they had been married that Erica and Derek were alone.

 

Erica left her spot and went to sit in her mates lap. “Hello husband.” She said kissing him.

 

Derek smiled after he broke the kiss, “Hello wife.” He said burying his face in her neck and smelling.

 

Erica poked him until he stopped. People had been sniffing her and complementing her on her scent all night. It was starting to give her the creeps. “Stop that.”

 

“Why?” he asked giving her a look that managed to portray innocence and a sense of knowing.

 

“Because people have been sniffing me all night. Do people usually sniff an alpha on her wedding day? Or is just special treatment because I’m a hot, young blonde?”

 

Derek laughed. “No, you don’t smell different because of the wedding, but you do smell different. I find it intoxicating…makes me want to start our honeymoon now.”

 

Erica laughed. “Down boy. Hawaii can wait until our flight leaves tomorrow.” After she spoke, she recalled a conversation from earlier.

 

_I know that smell, mom smelt like that before both you and Der were born. Pregnant she-wolves smell like that…_

Laura’s words practically knocked the wind out of her. She grasped onto Derek tightly as she went over the signs in her mind. It was so obvious now…she had been hyper-emotional and ready to cry all day, her already super senses had intensified and everyone with a supernatural sniffer was taking a whiff of her all day and smiling. Her missed period, emotions and heightened senses had all been written off until this point as stress over the wedding. But now…

 

 “Derek, I think I’m pregnant.”

 

“I know you’re pregnant.” Derek said, “You smelt different when we woke up this morning, I just didn’t want to tell you until after the wedding. You were already freaking out about the guests arriving twelve hours early.”

 

Erica glared at him. “Have you decided if you are happy with this yet?”

 

“Yes. Are you as happy as I am about this news?”

 

 

* * *

 

**_6 Years and 8 months later **_ **

* * *

 

_Wolf’s Run_ was filled with the sounds of children playing and adults socializing.

 

“In Beacon Hills, the day the next Hale Alpha turns six the whole supernatural community shows up at her home for her party… She will one day be responsible for protecting the town’s residence from evil creatures and from hunters, like her parents and their pack do today. She is a born leader, like her mother and her father, her birthday is a very special day indeed.”

 

“Jesus Christ Bill, are you two working on the voice over for biopic on Andi?” Erica said walking onto the front porch with her grumpy 10 month old clinging to her. She sat down on the porch swing with her partner Deputy Bill King and his fourteen year old cousin Richie. “Be sure to add to the script that she has my temper, Derek’s winning personality and thinks that bedtime means time for a tantrum.”

 

Bill King laughed. He had been her partner since their first day on the force. Everyone else was too intimidated to partner up with an alpha werewolf or the next King Pride Leader so the Sheriff partnered them with each other. They had grown to be friends in the years since. He was her closest friend that wasn’t pack. Her husband did not like this fact very much, but her and Derek had an agreement; she made no cracks about his secretary at the office and he kept his mouth shut about her friendship with Bill.

 

“Richie here was just complaining about how bored he was, and he didn’t understand why anyone wanted to show up at a six year olds birthday party.” Bill said, “I was explaining to him that little Andromeda would be very important one day.”

 

“Well, lets have her be a kid for now. Derek and I will not be going anywhere for a long time, so Andi wont be alpha anytime soon. Sorry about all the fuss Richie…my husband likes to spoil the children rotten and a big ass birthday party for a six year old is one of those things. The older kids are downstairs playing on the game systems. Go join them, it’ll be less boring.”

 

“Thanks Alpha Hale.” Richie exclaimed before running into the house.

 

“Give me my godson Reyes.” Bill said, making a grab for the child in her arms.

 

Erica slapped away his hands. “It’s Hale…paws off my kid, King. And for the fifth time today, he is not your godson.”

 

“Come on Reyes. DJ loves me.”

 

Erica’s son began to let out the cutest, opposite of intimidating growl at this. “Actually I think he feels the exact same way about you that his father does. Isn’t that right Derek Julian? You don’t like Billy as much as your Daddy doesn’t like Billy.”

 

DJ stopped growling and buried his face into her neck.

 

“I’m not offended Reyes. The kid has to be on edge with so many people around, making loud noises and stinking up his house.” Bill King said while standing up, “He loves me every other day…now if you’ll excuse me I see a very single lioness making eyes at me from across the lawn.”

 

Erica looked over at the girl in question, “She just turned twenty yesterday Bill. Don’t be weird.”

 

Bill glared at her. “Reyes, do I need to remind you of the age difference between you and Mr. Reyes?”

 

“Point taken King. Have fun.” She said and Bill left.

 

“Just Mommy and DJ, all alone on the quiet porch…watching the kids on the bouncy castle, and wondering how much we are going to yell at Daddy later for buying a Ferris Wheel for Andi’s birthday…” Erica said bouncing her surly baby boy on her lap, trying to coax a smile from him.

 

“Uncle Derek said that Aunt Lydia made him buy it.” Came a small voice from next to her. Erica fought the urge to jump in surprise but knew that would only encourage the five year old’s desire to sneak up on her.

 

“Diana, aren’t you supposed to be watching the babies for the next few minutes?” Erica asked.

 

The little girl sighed. “Daddy didn’t name me after Wonder Woman and Grandma just so I could watch babies drool on themselves. Micah and Missy are watching them until I get back.”

 

Diana Claudia Stilinski, Micah McCall-Lahey, and Melissa McCall-Lahey were all the same age and the oldest kids after Andromeda. Erica didn’t feel comfortable leaving anyone with _Stilinksi, McCall_ or _Lahey_ genes in charge of anything but Derek had the bright idea that giving the three of them some responsibility would help stop their pranks.

 

“Diana…” Erica groaned. “Please just help Micah and Missy for five more minutes. You only have to sit in the nursery and play with the toddlers that are awake. Your Dad will be up there when he’s done in the kitchen and then you can play.”

 

“He’s done now.” Stiles said from inside the house. “Come on Wonder Woman, let us rescue the McCall-Lahey kids from baby drool.”

 

After the Stilinski’s left, Erica and DJ only had a few more moments of peace before a tiny girl with wild dark brown curls ran up to them and crawled up next to Erica on the porch swing. She buried herself into Erica’s side and sighed.

 

“Mommy?”

 

“Yes Aubrey?”

 

“Wanna ride the Ferris Wheel with me? Andi dared me to go on, but I is scared to go alone.”

 

“Of course I will, I just have to wait for your Daddy to come and get DJ.” Erica smiled and shifted DJ so she held him with one hand. She kissed her middle child on the top of her head and used her newly free hand to pick the leaves and sticks out of her hair. “Were you running around in your wolf form again? Is that how you got the whole forest in your hair?”

 

Aubrey nodded. “One of the were-cats didn’t believe I could shift into a white wolf cuz were-wolves aren’t supposed to be able to shift. I won five whole dollars. Don’t tell Daddy.” Aubrey said nuzzling closer into Erica’s side. “I put it in my piggy bank before I came here.”

 

For the most part, her children took after the Hale side of the family in looks and personality. They each got little traits from her…Andromeda had Erica’s eyes, curls and dry wit, and Aubrey got her smile, curls and desire to prove people wrong. She didn’t know about DJ just yet, he had only been around for ten months and seemed to be just a mini-Derek so far, Erica was hoping that the boy got more from her than the ability to grow massive amounts of curly hair.

 

Her husband was now approaching the porch carrying Andromeda on his back. Andromeda had a crown on her head that said ‘Birthday Princess’ and her black hair was tied back in a complicated braid that Erica had spent an hour perfecting this morning. Aubrey burrowed deeper into Erica’s side and growled softly at the sight of her approaching sister.

 

“Mommy. She’s mean, don’t let her sit with us.”

 

Erica and Derek rolled their eyes at the statement and Andi simply growled back. DJ was upset by his sisters’ growling and he was beginning to cry.

 

“Stop it you two.” Derek said as Erica began to soothe her son, “Aubrey, you get a birthday party every year too and Andi doesn’t spend the whole day making complaints about you does she?”

 

“No.” Aubrey groaned, “But she called me fart face yesterday! That’s mean.”

 

“Aunt Laura still calls Daddy a little turd. They are called pet names, fart-face.” Andromeda said as Derek let her off his back and she skipped over towards the porch swing. “It’s like how everyone in the pack calls Mommy _Puppy_. Mommy’s not really a puppy, but that’s how they show her they love her.”

 

“Find a new pet-name.” Aubrey said. “I don’t like being called fart-face.”

 

Derek and Erica laughed. “Your Mom and I never liked our nicknames, that’s why everyone started calling us by those names.” Derek said.

 

Andi had slid in next to Aubrey and scooted over so Derek had room to sit. “Daddy, Aubrey’s covered in leaves again…” Andi sighed as Derek sat down, and they all started pulling more leaves from Aubrey’s hair. “Did you shift during the party? Daddy said no shifting when we had guests.”

 

“Mommy, you promised to go on the Ferris Wheel with me.” Aubrey said, dodging the question like a professional.

 

Erica laughed and handed DJ to Derek. “I did.”

 

Erica picked up Aubrey and held out her hand for Andi. “You want to come with us?”

 

Andi nodded and grabbed her hand.

* * *

 

After the ride on the Ferris Wheel her daughters kissed her goodbye and made a run for the playground. Erica made her way back towards the porch.

 

“What did you do with our son?” She asked her mate as she sat down next to him.

 

“He’s in the nursery.” Derek said putting his arms around her. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

Their lives had not been easy, or without challenge. Over the past seven years the pack had faced many challenges; the pack separating so they could finish their degrees, rouge packs, rouge omegas, the occasional hunter, a supernatural disaster or two, and kids. But nothing compared to the foes they face in their first few years as a pack. Everything had calmed down. The pack was safe (and finally all moved back to Beacon Hills), the town was safe, and her children were safe. All was well in Beacon Hills these days.

 

“So are we grounding Aubrey?” Erica asked.

 

“No. Let’s let her think she got away with it this time.” Derek said, “Malia watched her change and change back from a distance, so it wasn’t like she was unsupervised.”

 

“She did win five whole dollars too.” Erica said, “you think the people of Beacon Hills would have learned not to question a Hale woman by now.”

 

Derek laughed. “You would think so.”

 

“Mommy! Daddy!” Andi yelled as she and Aubrey approached the porch again. “The playground and the bouncy castle is crowded, can we all go for a run until its time fore cake and presents?” Andromeda put on her best pleading face, and Erica’s insides melted.

 

“I promise to stay in my regular wolf form Daddy.” Aubrey said nudging the dirt of the flowerbed she was standing in with her sneaker.

 

Her kids were too damn cute. Her and Derek were goners. Their girls had them both wrapped around their little fingers. Derek and Erica stood up and walked down the steps. They shifted into what Aubrey called their ‘regular wolf forms’ (Derek, not wanting to use his other wolf form around people who weren’t pack) letting their red eyes glow as the each picked up a daughter and walked towards the woods. The girls laughed and shifted into their wolf forms, and let their little eyes glow yellow.

 

“Okay Mommy.” Andi said once they got to the tree line. “Now you put me down and Daddy puts Aubrey down and we chase you and try to catch you.”

 

Derek and Erica put down their girls and took off at a run while holding each other’s hands. The girls worked hard for a good fifteen minutes, before they began to tire and Derek and Erica slowed down to let their children catch them.

 

The family rested by the pond after that. The girls cuddled close to each other and napping while Derek and Erica sat a few feet away propped up against a tree and holding each other.

 

Erica loved her life. She loved her family, she loved her pack, she loved her mate, she loved her job. Everything was just perfect.

 

“Thank you.” Derek whispered to her as she began to doze off. “Thank you so much for loving me, for being my partner, for being the mother to my children…thank you for everything. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

 

“And don’t you forget it, my love.” Erica laughed kissing him on the cheek before settling back in for a nap. “Wake us up in a half hour, or you will have three very angry she-wolves mad at you because they missed cake.”

 

Derek laughed. “They aren’t going to cut the cake without Andi.”

 

“That’s what you think. Everyone takes cake very seriously. It will be served with or without the birthday girl.” Erica said with a yawn. “Love you Der.”

 

“Love you more Erica.”

 

“That’s impossible. But I’ll let you believe that.”

 

“I thought you were going to sleep?”

 

“I would if you let me have the last word.”

 

Derek groaned. “I love my wife, even though she is stubborn and passed along her stubbornness to our children.”

 

“Let’s not mention traits we passed on Derek. Because I will win at this game…Laura told me that DJ’s inability to fall asleep properly if he can’t hear his mommy’s heartbeat is eerily similar to baby you…”

 

Derek snorted. And Erica grinned, satisfied that she had the last word. With that she drifted off to sleep…

 

“You’re too far gone to have the last word Erica. I love you and I win.” Derek said, beginning to play with her hair.

 

_I love you too you sneaky jerk._ Was her last thought before she fell asleep.

* * *

 

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FootNotes:  
> *Name Meanings: I get all my name info from babynamesDOTcom so if you ever want to know what a name means you can search that site. Most of my made up names are on purpose.  
> Derek is a name of English origin meaning People ruler.   
> Salvador (Derek’s middle name) is a name of Spanish origin meaning savior. (Stated in chapter 16 footnotes)  
> Erica is a name of English origin meaning Always ruler.   
> Regina (Erica’s middle name) is a name of Latin origin meaning queen.   
> Andromeda (their eldest child) is a name of Greek origin meaning ruler of men. Andi’s middle name is Lyn, which in my head was Erica’s Mom’s first name  
> Aubrey (their Second child) is a name of English origin meaning noble ruler. Aubrey’s middle is Talia, which in was Derek’s mom’s name.  
> DJ’s middle name is Julian. Julian is a name of Latin origin meaning youthful.  
> ** so nearly seven years have past. Everyone has finished school and has finished/is finishing grad school and well into the next phase of their lives. I don’t know if they all still live at Wolf’s Run, or if they will all stay living at Wolf’s Run…but I know no matter where “Life and Times…” takes me that I want them all to stay living in Beacon Hills and be a close pack. Most of the pack is 26- 30 y/o at this point. (Andi turning 6, Aubrey is 4, Little baby Derek is 10 months), Erica is 25, Derek is 33, Raul would be 17, Diego would be 15, Juliet is 12 and Connor is 10


End file.
